Shady Business
by Carley9
Summary: It all starts out as a business proposal, then moves to personal business. Will she ever agree to his shady business?
1. Prologue

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm still going to be writing the first version we all know and love (well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create this one!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Prologue - The Proposal  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A young woman with blonde hair sat at her desk and drummed her   
  
fingers on the smooth tabletop. She sat, staring at the document   
  
fresh off the fax machine that sat in the corner of the room. Her   
  
assistant/best friend had given her the details of document sitting   
  
in her hands. A month with the famous Mr. Mills, the CEO of their   
  
rival company, Bourne and Chaucy, Inc.  
  
Raye stood across the table from her, "Rena, it can't be that bad.   
  
It's not like he wants to drag your name through the dirt. If he   
  
had, he would be proposing this in a more popular venue."  
  
Running her hands over the smoothly polished desk, Serena looked up   
  
at her with haunting eyes. She didn't want to tell Raye why she   
  
would normally forbid the thinking of an idea like the one she was   
  
proposing. After all, her best friends just didn't see him the way   
  
Serena did. He was the embodiment of all that she had ever looked   
  
for, minus that ruthless determination of his of course. "I...I   
  
just can't do it, Raye. You don't see it the way I do." She stood   
  
up and walked to the window. "Why does he want me anyway? I'm just   
  
a figurehead. The only one of Arden Blade's legitimate children who   
  
wouldn't let the bastard rot in his grave."  
  
Raye steadied her violet gaze on her best friend. Serena had been   
  
there for her through thick and thin, now it was Raye's turn to   
  
return the favor. "You know that if you don't do this, he will shut   
  
down this leg of operations." Handing the discarded fax back to   
  
Serena she said, "He deems you too precious to harm you."  
  
Gazing at the fax, Serena clenched her jaw. Mr. Mills was Serena's   
  
least favorite person in the world right now. He was so much like   
  
her father she could scream. Gazing back at the fax, she saw the   
  
letterhead proclaimed that this particular message was from the man   
  
himself and not his company. Before she even got past the   
  
letterhead, she muttered, "What does he plan to take over next, me?"  
  
Nudging Serena's shoulder, Raye said, "Keep reading."  
  
Sighing, Serena read, "Dear Miss Blade... blah, blah, blah...   
  
What?!"  
  
"What does it say?" Raye asked, her curiosity piqued.  
  
Trembling, Serena squeaked out, "He wants to get better acquainted   
  
with me in order to, and I quote, 'improve our personal, as well as   
  
business, relationship.' Is it just me, but this sounds like a come   
  
on." Serena gazed past the fax and out the window. That rotten   
  
bastard!  
  
Trying to contain her laughter, Raye merely nodded. This was going   
  
to be a little bit harder than he had obviously planned. It would   
  
suit him to find someone who would fight every single step of the   
  
way. It was about damn time.  
  
Large blue orbs fixed on Raye. "Do you really think I should do   
  
this? If anything, I might be able to convince him to give the   
  
company back, right?"  
  
Throwing an arm around Serena, and giving her a light squeeze, Raye   
  
sighed. "I hope so Rena. If not, you still get to spend a month   
  
with a handsome guy."  
  
Serena snorted. Even her best friend was starting to desert her.   
  
Fate must truly have a wicked sense of humor if it planned on   
  
sticking her and him together for a month and not have them kill   
  
each other. If he treated her the way he had treated Ilene and   
  
Kathleen, she would send Sammy after his ass. "I don't want to   
  
sound too much like a whiner, but I have to ask. Do I really have   
  
to do this?"  
  
Raye shook her head. "This is truly your decision. If you don't   
  
want to, I'm sure he'll only think of something else. It would only   
  
be a matter of time." Pausing a moment, she added, "That brother of   
  
mine is ruthless when he sets his sights on something."  
  
"Brother? He's your brother?" Serena returned her gaze to the   
  
window. She ran a hand through her hair and held her breath. "Is   
  
this the same brother I met ten years ago?" Seeing Raye nod, she   
  
added, "It's a small world after all. Your brother is the heartless   
  
bastard? I never would have pegged him for that role."  
  
Raye said, "Just because we happen to share the same mother doesn't   
  
mean anything. If you must know, he's lived with image of his   
  
father all of his life." Joining Serena at the window, she asked,   
  
"Please Rena, just give it a chance. He won't try to harm you, it's   
  
just that... You've caught his eye and sparked his interest.   
  
Just..."  
  
Holding a hand up, Serena said, "I'll do it." For her sister's   
  
sakes and everyone else's she'd do it. "I just promise not to like   
  
it."  
  
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Review, review, review! I'd like to continue editing this and hopefully soon the other chapters will come out!  
  
Send questions or comments to: silvermoonangel@yahoo.com 


	2. Chapter One

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter One - The Meeting  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Serena gazed out of the car window with zero or no interest in her   
  
surroundings. She didn't want to think, her thoughts would only   
  
lead her into trouble and that was never a fun place for Serena   
  
Blade to be.  
  
Sitting back, she wondered what Carlin and Kieta were up to. Kieta   
  
had met the 'love of her life' a few months ago and they were   
  
talking about getting married, the impulsive Blade blood running   
  
through her veins. 'I hope she knows what she's doing,' Serena   
  
thought as she turned them to Carlin.  
  
Carlin, the baby, had been having her visions lately. Something she   
  
had not inherited from her father happened to be her crowning glory,   
  
along with the ability to keep them all quaking in their boots.   
  
Serena smiled and thought of the time Carlin predicted that Nerys   
  
would get her "famous" white streak. Ah, the good old days.  
  
Thinking of Nerys, Serena decided that after this was all over, she   
  
was going to have to visit her. Arden's only girl to not have   
  
psychic abilities, Nerys made up for it with her shrewd thinking and   
  
gentle hands. Mr. Mills probably owned one of her statues...  
  
Statues automatically made her think of Samantha, or rather Sam as   
  
she liked to be called. Unfortunately, Sam was the embodiment of   
  
everything Arden stood for. She was cold, calculating, and   
  
irrepressibly stubborn that it was a wonder Sammy was her twin   
  
brother.  
  
Then there was Sammy, the brains of the whole operation. Arden had   
  
written every one of his illegitimate children out of his will, but   
  
Serena made damn sure that every one got their fair share. That   
  
meant that Sammy had to run the entire business, like Arden had   
  
coached him to; if he got help from his friends, then Serena didn't   
  
have a problem.  
  
Serena sat back and gazed at the open opulence of the limousine.   
  
Chances were that her only full blooded sibling, Michael, had a   
  
fleet just like them. Michael was an up and coming Hollywood movie   
  
actor, who wouldn't have had his foot in the door if it wasn't for   
  
her father's money and her mother's connections. As much as she   
  
loved Mike, she thought it would have been much better if he had to   
  
learn it the hard way.  
  
Serena returned her gaze to outside the window. As they got further   
  
and further away from the city, the scenery was quite nice. Just   
  
like Carlin's place...  
  
"Miss Blade?"  
  
Serena turned away from the window. Looking forward, she pushed   
  
herself up and pushed the intercom. "Yes?"  
  
"We are here."  
  
Returning to the window, Serena gaped at the sight of the mansion.   
  
It was twice the size of the one she had lived in her whole life and   
  
the grounds were very well maintained. She had never been too   
  
impressed with material wealth, but she was impressed with this. No   
  
wonder he could have taken over her company, he must have been   
  
loaded.  
  
Serena sat back and contemplated her next move. If it wasn't money   
  
he wanted, then what was it?  
  
***  
  
"Miss Blade, I'm Byrne. I'll be seeing to your comfort while you   
  
are here." A balding man in his late sixties smiled at the   
  
obviously nervous Serena. The girl was young by his standards, but   
  
not Mr. Mills. She could only be around twenty-five, twenty-six at   
  
the most, and she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders...  
  
"Thank you Byrne. Is there anything I need to do before I go up?"   
  
Serena was starting to be tired again and it was only twelve-thirty.   
  
She had been up half the night scheming a way to get out of her   
  
situation and the other half resigning herself to her fate.  
  
"There is one thing." Serena paused in mid-flight up one of the   
  
winding staircases. She turned around and steeled herself for   
  
whatever Byrne had to say. "Mr. Mills would like to see you in the   
  
library."  
  
Serena cringed. The last thing she wanted to do was see him. This   
  
was the man who was chipping away at her and her siblings   
  
birthrights! She took a deep breath and sighed. Better get it over   
  
with now, or he might never leave her alone. "Lead the way, Byrne."   
  
As soon as their little meeting was over, she was going to be flying   
  
out of there like a bat out of hell. Something about him unsettled   
  
her...  
  
Byrne played the gracious guide and pointed out a few of the rooms   
  
as they passed by. Serena was definitely going to have to tackle   
  
the music room before she left. when they arrived at an immense oak   
  
door, Byrne softly rapped on it. "Sir, Miss Blade is here."   
  
Pausing to hear the reply, a grimace marred his smooth features.   
  
With reluctance, he slowly opened the door for Serena. "Mr. Mills   
  
will see you now."  
  
Serena inched her way into the room. She took a moment to collect   
  
her thoughts and observed her surroundings. From her position at   
  
the door, she could see two wall shelves--filled floor to ceiling--a   
  
large fireplace, and a cabinet filled with all sorts of liquor. She   
  
turned her gaze to the desk, where sitting in the shadows was the   
  
man who was the cause of all of her problems. A fire was lit and   
  
the soft light played on his stark features. His eyes were obscured   
  
by unruly hair and he had prominent cheekbones, but his lips looked   
  
odd and luscious in their fullness. 'Keep your mind on the task at   
  
hand, Blade,' she reprimanded herself. Returning her gaze to his   
  
eyes, she said as levelly as she could, "I guess we meet at last,   
  
Mr. Mills."  
  
Leaning forward so his face was out of the shadows, Serena gasped.   
  
She should have expected his looks, but somehow his face was far   
  
more handsome than she had remembered. His raven hair gleamed while   
  
cobalt eyes smiled at her dismay. "I agree, Serena. We waited far   
  
too long to meet like this." When she was about to protest, he held   
  
up his hand and continued, "It's better if we skip the formalities   
  
as soon as possible."  
  
Serena backed up until she was pressed against the door. He was far   
  
more than what she had expected. Heat unfurled in her stomach as   
  
she watched him stand up. 'No, I can't be thinking this,' she   
  
thought as she pressed her hands up against the grainy wood of the   
  
door.  
  
He slowly walked toward her, like a panther stalking its prey. He   
  
saw her squeeze her eyes shut and waited for her to open them again   
  
before he fingered her hair, "I plan for us to be very... close."   
  
He lingered for a moment, then backed a few feet away from her. She   
  
was far more than he remembered. Raking his gaze up and down her   
  
body, he smiled a secret smile. She sure had filled out since she   
  
and Raye were sixteen, but she probably didn't remember that. That   
  
had been an interesting meting ten years ago and that had symbolized   
  
his undoing.  
  
Jeez, that man was sexy. Her body grew hotter when he perused it so   
  
openly, she was surprised that she didn't burst into flame. Serena   
  
felt tears prick her eyes and held them back. 'I will not cry in   
  
front of this monster.' Trying to keep from stuttering, she said,   
  
"If you plan on being so close, you should introduce yourself." She   
  
proffered her hand and said, "I'll start. My name Serena Blade and   
  
that little branch of my father's company used to be part of Blade,   
  
Inc. until you took it over last week." She let out the breath she   
  
had been holding and looked into his eyes.  
  
He simply looked at her hand, still hanging there in midair.   
  
Smiling that untamed smile of his, that had won him so many women   
  
before, he said, "My name is Darien Mills, the CEO of Bourne and   
  
Chaucy, Inc. and a man who desperately wants to kiss you." He gave   
  
her a second and a half to react before he slammed his lips down on   
  
hers. She was a little stiff, but he was a patient man. He had   
  
waited ten years for her, hadn't he?  
  
Serena gasped at the force of his mouth upon hers. This isn't what   
  
she had expected. There were things worse than to be seduced by her   
  
business rival, but totally unexpected. Hell, he wasn't what she   
  
suspected. His hands roughly pulled her against him, searing every   
  
inch of his body against hers. He backed her against the door so   
  
she was wedged between him and the wall, leaving her no means of   
  
escape. In fear of getting her hands crushed between their bodies,   
  
Serena swathed her arms around his neck. She slowly twined her   
  
fingers in his hair and pulled him a little closer. Even if he was   
  
the enemy, she was going to enjoy herself thoroughly.  
  
Darien prodded her to open her mouth. If he didn't get a taste of   
  
her, he would probably go insane. He softly nudged her in the right   
  
spots, slowly bringing his dreams of ten years to life. Serena   
  
moaned against his mouth and Darien saw his chance. Slowly   
  
infiltrating her mouth, Darien felt her stiffen beneath him.  
  
Serena was in shock. A man she had known less than ten minutes had   
  
slipped his tongue into her mouth. Although she didn't mind much,   
  
it was downright mortifying. It didn't say too much about her   
  
character and she felt as if she had let her sisters down. Serena   
  
quickly pulled away and slapped him with all her might.  
  
Darien lifted a hand to his stinging cheek. Raye had been right,   
  
this was going to be a tough battle, but a battle he would win. He   
  
picked up the offending hand and kissed the palm, trying to soothe   
  
the sting. He didn't remember her being so feisty; he had   
  
remembered her as the sweet innocent thing he almost had on the desk   
  
in his stepfather's study...  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Serena said in a husky voice,   
  
betraying the pleasure she was getting out of this. Goodness, if he   
  
kept it up any longer she would be half-tempted to bend him over a   
  
chair and have her way with him.  
  
If Darien was going to be honest with himself, he would admit that   
  
he thoroughly enjoyed the indignant husky quality her voice had   
  
taken on. It was much more desirable than the slightly high-pitched   
  
quality it had had when they first met. "I'm kissing your palm. It   
  
must sting after the slap you gave me." He flipped her palm over and   
  
began kissing the back of her hand. If she'd give him a moment   
  
longer, he might be able to work his way back to her lips and from   
  
there anything was possible.  
  
Determined to end this first meeting, Serena abruptly jerked her   
  
hand away. She looked at him with terror in her eyes and flew out   
  
the door, slamming it behind her. She leaned up against a wall and   
  
let the tears silently flow down her cheeks. He could never know   
  
how he effected her, to do so would open a can of worms she needed   
  
to keep closed. She just couldn't do this, even if it meant losing   
  
her company for good.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Review, review, review! I'd like to continue editing this and   
  
hopefully soon the other chapters will come out! Unfortunately,   
  
diamonds aren't my best friends, so I need reviews, please. :)  
  
Send questions or comments to: silvermoonangel@yahoo.com 


	3. Chapter Two

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Two - Settling In  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Serena slowly stood up. She didn't   
  
want to get that close to him. She was a great emotional mess and   
  
she didn't need this extra load of baggage. Darien Mills was going   
  
to have to keep his distance if he didn't want to be skewered by the   
  
nearest pointy object. Smoothing her bangs out of her eyes, she   
  
walked into the hallway. She paused a moment to take in her   
  
surroundings and casually walked over to a statue of a sea nymph   
  
rising from the water. 'This must be one of Nerys',' Serena thought   
  
as she turned her gaze toward the corner of the room. Standing   
  
there was Byrne; at least she'd have a confidant in him.  
  
"Are you and Mr. Mills finished, Miss Blade?" Byrne took a look at   
  
Serena and silently reproached his master. Normally he kept his   
  
opinions to himself and said nothing about the state of the women   
  
that walked through the door, but this was it. Serena's hair was   
  
coming out of her ponytail and mascara residue pooled beneath her   
  
eyes; obviously, the master had thoroughly enjoyed himself and to   
  
her expense. He slowly walked up to her and saw that there were   
  
fresh tear trails coming down her cheeks. Cursing low, he put a   
  
hand on her shoulder and asked her again, "Are you and Mr. Mills   
  
finished?"  
  
Serena just nodded her head, afraid that her voice may fail her in   
  
the middle of a sentence. Darien had rattled her last nerve. She   
  
felt desired and she felt so dirty at the same time. Everything was   
  
falling apart and if he happened to be the catalyst, then so be it.   
  
Se needed someone to blame and if she saw him sometime this   
  
millennium, it would be all too soon.  
  
"Serena?"  
  
Serena whipped around and saw Darien standing in the doorway of the   
  
library, looking as lethal as a panther intent on capturing its next   
  
meal. No matter what he looked like, he was a danger; all men were.   
  
Mentally shaking herself, Serena choked back the urge to yell at   
  
him. Becoming a picture-perfect ice queen, she coolly replied,   
  
"What is it Darien?"  
  
Wincing at her tone, Darien mentally tallied the score: Serena 2,   
  
Darien 0. At least she hadn't punted him in his gonads. Running a   
  
hand through his hair, he flashed a hundred-watt smile. It probably   
  
wouldn't help him out in the long run, but it might diffuse her   
  
anger, somewhat. "I just wanted to know if you had seen your   
  
bedroom."  
  
Serena smiled while shaking her head. That man never gave up.   
  
Closing her eyes, she gave a sigh of relief. It would be a long   
  
time before she could even think of having some semblance of sanity   
  
ever again. Even if she managed to escape from this with her   
  
dignity intact, she'd have to deal with the insane mess that awaited   
  
her back home. Squeezing them tighter, she wished that she could   
  
wake up and that this was all a dream. Slowly opening her eyes, she   
  
saw a pair of dark blue eyes staring at her from a much closer   
  
proximity than before.  
  
Dropping his voice, Darien said, "I promise no funny stuff." Tired   
  
of running his hand through his hair, he placed it on her shoulder.   
  
He caught her glare and smiled again, adding, "Byrne would probably   
  
chase after me with a fire poker."  
  
Giggling at the mental image, Serena slowly smiled back at him.  
  
Darien caught his breath. If he thought she was beautiful before,   
  
she was down right ravishing now. Even with caked mascara and messy   
  
hair, seeing her straight white teeth--care of her father, no doubt-  
  
-peeking out from between her luscious lips, melted Darien's   
  
insides.  
  
Serena's smile dropped from her face when she realized what was   
  
happening. She was actually encouraging him. She was even flirting   
  
with him! The last thing she wanted to do was to encourage him.   
  
Serena sighed and looked at Byrne. "Byrne, will you please escort   
  
me to my room."  
  
Ignoring his master's infuriated look, Byrne chuckled to himself.   
  
Mr. Mills was going to have to fight desperately if he truly wanted   
  
to be with this woman. Byrne would be the first to approve of this   
  
young lady, she had a polite--albeit slightly cold, so far--manner   
  
and demeanor about her. Proffering his arm, he said, "This way,   
  
Miss Blade."  
  
Flashing Byrne a smile, and taking his arm, Serena said, "Lead the   
  
way."  
  
Watching her retreating back, Darien silently berated himself. She   
  
had certainly grown up in the last ten years. She had lost her   
  
soft, innocent way and had found a much cooler way to deal with the   
  
world. 'I'll find out what happened to her,' he promised himself.   
  
With tears of regret pricking his eyes, he went to his study and   
  
proceeded to drink himself into an intoxicated stupor with the   
  
finest--and strongest--brandy in his liquor cabinet.  
  
***  
  
Serena gaped at the room. Byrne had dropped her off a few minutes   
  
ago and the room managed to enthrall her every sense. The bed was a   
  
four poster canopy with white curtains. The rich scarlet bedspread   
  
was covered with various white, cream, and red pillows; the largest   
  
of which covered nearly the whole headboard. The whole room had   
  
been done in whites, creams, and various shades of red. There was a   
  
scarlet armchair in front of a fireplace, as well as a crimson couch   
  
and an ornate mahogany bookcase. Taking a closer look at a painting   
  
above the fireplace, she saw it was the print--Selene, the Moon   
  
Goddess and her shepherd, Endymion--she had attempted to buy a few   
  
months earlier at Claude Robepierre's art gallery. 'Well, now I   
  
know who outbid me,' she thought as she returned her gaze to the   
  
room.  
  
Serena turned around the room one more time before going to the   
  
bookcase. Lining the shelves were some of her favorite books, as   
  
well as those she had been meaning to read. Picking up a copy of   
  
Jane Austen's "Persuasion"--one of her favorites--Serena sat on the   
  
couch and read undisturbed for several hours.  
  
***  
  
Darien emerged from his study several hours later, his eyes   
  
bloodshot, his balance unsteady, and his breath reeking of brandy.   
  
He didn't mean to drink that much, but the image of her   
  
unforgettable eyes kept him rethinking his plan. He had intended to   
  
seduce her and have her come willingly to his bed. He really didn't   
  
want things to come to this, but if they had to...  
  
He somehow managed to work his way to her room. Pausing outside,   
  
Darien pressed his forehead against the cold oak of the door. He   
  
had never been able to forget her since she was sixteen and when   
  
this was said and done, he knew he'd never be able to get her off   
  
his mind. She was like a narcotic; possibly addicting after the   
  
first taste.  
  
He rapped on the door and called, "Serena?" Hearing no reply, he   
  
opened the door and spied Serena reading on the couch. Her blonde   
  
hair was falling gently over her shoulder and a pair of reading   
  
glasses perched on her nose.  
  
Serena looked up and jumped at the sight of Darien standing in the   
  
doorway. She snatched her book out of the air and placed it on her   
  
lap. Realizing that her glasses were on, she whipped them off and   
  
glared at him. She really wasn't a vain person, she didn't want him   
  
to see her with any kind of vulnerability. "What do you want?"  
  
"Serena, I..." Darien fumbled for words as he walked farther into   
  
the room. He gazed at her. The light green dress was innocent, but   
  
made his blood boil. She was looked so hard and so soft at the same   
  
time; it was an extremely desirable combination.  
  
Serena felt herself getting off the couch and walking toward him as   
  
if she had no will of her own. She couldn't decide who was dropping   
  
the barrier first, him, or herself. She prayed it wasn't her, the   
  
consequences were too dire to comprehend.  
  
She was standing in front of him now. Darien waited a fraction of a   
  
second before he looked down and captured her mouth with his own.   
  
He carried her over to the couch and sat down, placing her firmly on   
  
his lap.  
  
Serena moaned. His mouth tasted like the finest brandy and   
  
pleasure. She was beyond caring, she wanted--no, needed--to feel   
  
him overpower her and sweep her up in desire. She threw her head   
  
back and writhed on his lap, eliciting a groan from Darien.  
  
Darien ravaged her mouth. He tasted sweetness, desire, and hope;   
  
hope that they would be able to finish things this time around. He   
  
picked her up and laid her on the bed, landing next to her. He   
  
slowly kissed his way down her body, pausing to kiss the tender   
  
white flesh of her throat.  
  
Goodness, this man was worse than the strongest narcotic. This was   
  
second time they kissed, and she was hooked. She pulled him up and   
  
planted a kiss on his lips, softly nipping at them as they moved   
  
together. Serena slowly writhed beneath him. "Darien?"  
  
"Yes?" Goodness, this woman possessed the ability to tie him in   
  
knots. He was about ready to give her the moon and stars. He   
  
couldn't believe his good fortune, she was accepting what they were   
  
doing.  
  
"You'll be the first in a long time," Serena said as Darien started   
  
unbuttoning her dress.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Review, review, review! I'd like to continue editing this and   
  
hopefully soon the other chapters will come out! Unfortunately,   
  
diamonds aren't my best friends, so I need reviews, please. :)  
  
Send questions or comments to: silvermoonangel@yahoo.com 


	4. Chapter Three

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
= Going back in time  
  
... = Going forward in time  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Three - Dealing With Memories  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Darien's fingers stilled in mid-air. Did he just hear   
  
correctly? Why would a gorgeous woman like her say something like   
  
that? Gazing into her eyes, he asked, "Whatever happened to Diamond   
  
Lathrop?"  
  
Serena gazed up at him. Well, shit; Diamond was always a snag   
  
in her plans. Pushing herself up and pulling out from under him,   
  
she asked, "How do you know about Diamond? I haven't heard anyone   
  
talk about him for about five years."  
  
Darien mentally smacked his forehead. Obviously Serena didn't   
  
remember that summer ten years ago. The summer of his undoing, just   
  
by learning she existed...  
  
  
  
"Raye, can you hand me the sun tan lotion?" Serena asked as   
  
she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. This summer was   
  
the first she was allowed to not travel with her parents to Europe.   
  
Mike had been able to escape a few years earlier, when he ran off to   
  
Hollywood to become an actor.  
  
"Yeah." Raye Carlson handed her best friend her lotion. Raye   
  
wondered if she should tell Serena about this guy she had met; maybe   
  
later. "I'm glad you get to stay here for the summer, Rena. You   
  
might even get to meet my workaholic half-brother."  
  
Serena squirted some lotion onto her hand, "Who wants to meet   
  
some twenty-year-old anyway?" Serena smeared the cream along her   
  
fair skin and made sure she smeared it on her face. She never   
  
tanned, only burned. The curse of being blonde. Smiling, she   
  
added, "Besides, Diamond is supposed to come to the party tomorrow."  
  
Raye perked up. "Diamond's coming here?" Now Raye wouldn't   
  
stick out like a sore thumb if she invited Chad... Raye arched an   
  
eyebrow, "Your boyfriend is coming to my house to see you? All the   
  
way out here?" Raye stared in disbelief at Serena. She knew   
  
Diamond was devoted to Serena--and vise versa--but this was pushing it. The only reason she could see him coming out here would to...   
  
"You two don't plan on... well, you know... at least not in my   
  
house."  
  
Shaking her head, Serena replied, "No. He's feeling lonely   
  
since his parents went away and your parents are having that party   
  
in a few days. He was invited, so naturally he'd see me." Serena   
  
grabbed two hair ties and flopped onto the patio chair. Putting her   
  
hair in to two little buns, she laid down and dozed off dreaming of   
  
Diamond.  
  
***  
  
"I'm home!" Darien dropped his bags in the hallway. He was   
  
on vacation from New York University and this was the first time he   
  
had been able to see his mother in months. "Ana, where's Mom and   
  
Raye," Darien asked, putting his arms around the housekeeper. The   
  
small Spanish dame had been a second mother to him and Raye as they   
  
grew up.  
  
Ana smiled back at Darien. Maybe now that he was home, Mr.   
  
and Mrs. Carlson would not fight as much. "Miss Raye is   
  
entertaining a friend by the pool and Mrs. Carlson is in the   
  
library."  
  
Darien picked up his bags and went up to his room. His room   
  
was sparsely furnished compared to his dorm at NYU, but a welcome   
  
relief all the same. He set the bags down and moved to open the   
  
curtains. It always felt a little stifled in here. Taking a moment   
  
to gaze out the window, he was awed by what he saw.  
  
Sitting in a chaise lounge was a golden-haired goddess, her   
  
bright blue bikini barely covered anything. She looked like she was   
  
sleeping, but perked up when she saw Raye coming. She whipped her   
  
sunglasses and began chattering at whatever girls chattered about.  
  
Darien slowly backed from the window. So this was Raye's   
  
friend. He looked down at himself and became slightly disgusted as   
  
well as slightly puzzled. There was no reason to get excited over a   
  
sixteen-year-old--amend that, a good looking sixteen-year-old--when   
  
he had enough problems with women his own age.  
  
He went into the bathroom and turned the water on. Turning   
  
back toward the window, Darien resigned himself to having cold   
  
showers for the next month. It's the only way he'd escape the state   
  
he was in at the moment.  
  
***  
  
"Rena, do you really have to wear that?" Raye asked as she   
  
got a peak at her best friend. Serena was wearing a pink tube top   
  
and a tight pink sarong, showing not only a prodigious amount of   
  
cleavage as well as her long slim legs.  
  
"Well, of course, Raye," Serena said. "It's summer and we're   
  
going to be eating outside." Serena didn't see what the big fuss   
  
was about. Raye's mom, Angelina, loved her and her dad...well, he   
  
was just a lecherous man.  
  
Raye just shook her head at her friend. There was nothing she   
  
could do now, but go along with it. Grabbing Serena's hand, she   
  
took her downstairs to the patio. Stopping before she opened the   
  
doors, Raye smoothed her skirt. Giving Serena one last look, she   
  
opened the door and walked in.  
  
"Raye, Serena, come in." Raye's mother, Angelina Carlson,   
  
rose and hugged the girls. "Dare or your father won't be joining us   
  
tonight," Angelina said once the girls sat down.  
  
"Why not? Did Dad get called in? Does Dare have some essay   
  
to write?" Raye asked, settling her napkin on her lap. Her half-  
  
brother had been home less than eight hours and he was already doing   
  
schoolwork. It was a nice thought that her brother wanted to work   
  
for his place in life, but he needed to take a break every once and   
  
a while.  
  
Serena turned her head toward Raye. "What does he plan to   
  
do?" Serena looked up at second-story window as she asked. There   
  
was a man standing in the window, the sunlight gleaming off his   
  
hair. There was something about the way he was standing that made   
  
her shiver with delight. Dark blue jeans molded his muscled thighs   
  
and a white T-shirt molded his chest and arms.  
  
"He's studying to get his business degree," Raye giggled   
  
behind her napkin. "He wants to out do his father in that aspect."  
  
"His father?" Serena asked confusedly. "I thought your dad   
  
was a doctor."  
  
"Oh, no," Angelina said shaking her head. "I divorced Dare's   
  
father when Dare was a year old." Shivering, she added, "The most   
  
controlling man I'd ever met."  
  
With Serena in the room, Raye couldn't ask the question that   
  
burned her mind. What was the real reason Darien wasn't coming down   
  
for dinner?  
  
***  
  
She had seen him in the window. He felt the palpable way she   
  
looked at him with appreciation and anticipation. She obviously   
  
wasn't what she seemed. He saw the way her lips parted in desire,   
  
and he wanted her. Oh, Lord did he want her.  
  
He could imagine the way she'd feel. Soft skin that smelled   
  
like peaches would envelop him and entrap him. Her eyes would turn   
  
an almost violet color as her legs would coil around his waist. Her   
  
lips would be full and a cherry red from his kisses.  
  
Darien sat and put his head in his hands. She'd never notice   
  
him, though. He overheard Raye telling his mother about Diamond   
  
Lathrop and Serena. That spoiled brat would just take a flower like   
  
Serena and ruin her; ruin her fragility and innocence. Darien would   
  
need to find her out tomorrow and put a stop to that relationship.   
  
He shook his head in disbelief; he was getting jealous already.  
  
Darien stalked out of his room and went into his   
  
study/library, stopping short when he saw Serena there. She sat,   
  
perched on the end of his desk in that outfit of hers, reading a   
  
book. Funny, he didn't figure her as the bookish type.  
  
The hair on Serena's neck stirred. Someone was in the room   
  
with her. Aware of a tingle in the pit of her stomach, Serena kept   
  
reading, all the while aware of the figure behind her. She needed a   
  
dark, handsome stranger in her life, Diamond just wasn't cutting it.  
  
Darien maneuvered behind her. He covered her eyes and took   
  
the book out of her hands. He softly whispered into her ear, "Don't   
  
be afraid." He softly kissed her temple and was pleased when he   
  
heard a soft gasp.  
  
Serena was still. She would bet that the voice belonged to   
  
the man she saw earlier. It was rough and gravelly; a bedroom   
  
voice. She tried opening her eyes, only to have him ask   
  
plaintively, "Please, keep them closed." She shivered in delight   
  
and did what he asked of her; she didn't want to ruin wherever this   
  
game was going.  
  
He slowly inched her off the desk, bringing her to stand in   
  
front of him. He looped her arms around his neck and brought his   
  
lips down on hers. She tasted like peaches and, surprisingly, a   
  
touch of brandy. Chuckling softly to himself, he prodded her to   
  
part her lips.  
  
Passion ignited in Serena. Even Diamond had never kissed her   
  
this way and this definitely wasn't Diamond. Where Diamond was   
  
soft, this man was hard. She could feel his muscles through his   
  
shirt, as well as his...endowments. His hands were rough as he   
  
slid them down her arms and pulled her closer against him. She   
  
shyly parted her lips for him and gasped when his tongue was warm in   
  
her mouth.  
  
Darien was hanging on by a thread. He was so close to just   
  
laying on the floor and taking her. His little one was full of   
  
passion and he wanted, no needed, to teach her himself. Anything   
  
she did with that boy was probably just groping in a closet during   
  
a dance.  
  
Serena writhed in his arms. It felt so good to be this close   
  
to someone, and to have them reciprocate some feeling, even if it   
  
was just lust.  
  
"Serena?" Someone called from the hallway.  
  
Darien tore his lips from hers. Raye was the one who was   
  
probably coming and he didn't want her to find them doing...this.   
  
In a roughened voice, he said to Serena, "I'll see you tomorrow   
  
night, here at ten o'clock."  
  
Serena stood there, in his arms, with her eyes still closed.   
  
She slowly nodded, only knowing that they would meet here again, and   
  
again, until they were both satisfied. Her mystery man gave her a   
  
light kiss and disappeared.  
  
***  
  
The party was teeming with people. Darien was mingling,   
  
making sure that every guest was comfortable, all the while looking   
  
for Serena. She had pounced on Diamond the moment he had set foot   
  
in the house. She was polite to the guest he had brought, a redhead   
  
named Emerald. Serena had been on Diamond's arm all night and   
  
remained there when Raye introduced them.  
  
"Rena, this is my half-brother, Darien Chaucy. Darien, this   
  
is Serena Blade."  
  
Darien did the polite thing and bowed. On his way up, he   
  
slightly winked at Serena. Diamond just smirked and tugged Serena   
  
along before she could fully appraise his...personality. Darien   
  
hoped he trip over his ego and take his little guest with him.  
  
Serena looked back at Darien and winked saucily at him. If   
  
Diamond hadn't pulled her along, she might actually get to meet   
  
someone. Or someone she might have already met... "Diamond, why   
  
didn't we stop and say hello to Darien?"  
  
Diamond threw his head back and laughed. Still chuckling, he   
  
said, "Darien is the heir to the fastest failing business. Bourne   
  
and Chaucy, Inc. is failing fast" Patting her hand he added, "The   
  
only reason I'd even be civil to him is that Raye is his sister and   
  
I have the utmost respect for her."  
  
Diamond's partner added, "That and the fact that Raye's your   
  
best friend."  
  
Serena stood there and gapped at him. He was being so callous   
  
and cold, not at all like his normal self. She had never seen him   
  
be this petty of what someone was worth.  
  
"Diamond, will you come with me please?" Serena asked him.   
  
When Emerald started to follow, she said, "That doesn't mean you,   
  
Hun."  
  
Darien watched Serena and Diamond go into the house without   
  
his companion. His heart sank as he followed them into the house.   
  
She was taking Diamond to the study they were in last night.   
  
Obviously it hadn't meant anything to her. Resigning himself to   
  
never having a taste of her again, Darien went upstairs and started   
  
to pack. Tomorrow he would be back in New York and would begin to   
  
build his life anew.  
  
***  
  
"Serena, what is the meaning of-," Diamond was cut off by   
  
Serena launching herself at him. He let her linger a moment, then   
  
pulled her away from him. Looking at her quizzically, he asked,   
  
"What's wrong with you?"  
  
Serena choked back a sob. He definitely had changed, and not   
  
for the better. She couldn't tell Diamond that she had fallen in   
  
love with a mysterious stranger. He'd only try and force her into   
  
things she didn't want to do, like he had two months ago. Serena   
  
shook her head and stiffly walked out of the room, feeling as if she   
  
had aged five years.  
  
  
  
He could never let her know how he knew of Diamond. If she   
  
didn't want to remember, it wasn't his fault. "I ran into him a few   
  
days ago and remembered Raye saying that you and him had gone out a   
  
long time ago." It was lame, but would do for now.  
  
"Oh. We did, for a while." Serena shook her head, then   
  
continued, "He cheated on me with this chick named Emerald and that   
  
was the end of that."  
  
They sat in silence for a few moments--each collecting their   
  
thoughts--before Serena blurted, "I'm hungry. Can we get something   
  
to eat?" Not hearing his answer, she dashed out the door, wincing   
  
when she heard a crash behind her. 


	5. Chapter Four

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
= Going back in time  
  
... = Going forward in time  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Four - The Seduction  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Serena threw herself into a chair and sighed. Thanks to   
  
Darien, she passed the night tossing and turning, dreaming of the   
  
way he had held and kissed her. "Get out of my mind," she groaned   
  
to the empty room.  
  
  
  
Darien followed her into the kitchen, making sure to stay a   
  
few steps behind her. If she saw him, it would be all for naught.  
  
Serena looked around her and decided to take something out of   
  
the refrigerator. Hefting out a big melon, she carefully pulled out   
  
a large, lethal looking knife. Holding the blade up to the light,   
  
she seemed to study it carefully before she said, "Give it up,   
  
Mills. I know you're lurking there."  
  
Darien stepped out of the shadows. She was smart, that one.   
  
There was no way she was merely a figurehead. "Do you plan to eat   
  
that all by yourself," he asked carefully, eyeing the knife.  
  
She shook her head and said, "Only part of it. Do you want   
  
some?" Seeing him nod, she smiled and said, "Sit. Tell me where   
  
your cutting board is."  
  
He pointed and watched her as she glided through his kitchen.   
  
She would pause every few moments, as if she was committing the   
  
layout to memory. She finally reached the wall where it was   
  
hanging, and grabbed it. Carefully balancing the knife in one hand   
  
and the cutting board in another, she made her way back to the   
  
counter. She smiled at him and asked, "How big of a piece do you   
  
want?"  
  
Taking the knife out of her hand, he sliced himself a piece of   
  
the melon. He watched her gaze turn slightly indignant, then back   
  
to normal. He handed her the knife back and felt the sexual cackle   
  
of electricity when he touched her hand.  
  
She mercilessly sliced a piece, relishing when he winced. She   
  
took a big bite and felt the juices dribble to her chin.  
  
He stood up and came around to her. He took her piece out of   
  
her hand and slowly lapped the juices off her chin. She shivered in   
  
delight then pulled away, walking up the stairs until she reached   
  
her room and slammed the door, causing the echo to reverberate   
  
through the house.  
  
  
  
Darien stood in the doorway and chuckled. Serena's night hadn't been any better than his had. After she left, he saw the   
  
accusatory glare of Byrne and was left to explain what   
  
happened...even if he could. Then again, he had been dreaming of   
  
all the things that he would do to her once she was in his bed.   
  
Clearing his throat, and seeing her startle, he asked, "Serena, will   
  
you join me for dinner tonight?"  
  
Arching her eyebrow as she turned in her chair, Serena looked   
  
at him. He was dressed casually in jeans and a white T-shirt, his   
  
glossy hair tousled as if he had just gotten out of bed. Serena   
  
looked at him as if she wanted to eat him for dinner. She turned a   
  
wary glare in his direction and said, "Why, so you can lure me into   
  
your clutches? Thanks, but no thanks."  
  
Darien took a few steps into the room. Her words didn't fool   
  
him. He knew she wanted him, could feel that she wanted him. That   
  
little action in the kitchen last night proved it. He moved to   
  
stand in front of her chair and put his hands on the armrests.   
  
"Somehow I don't think you'd mind too much. Especially given last   
  
night..." He let the comment sit in the air between them as she   
  
turned red.  
  
Serena's face turned red in anger. "You pompous ass! For   
  
that comment, you can go straight to hell! Do not pass go, do not   
  
collect two hundred dollars." Serena crossed her arms tightly over   
  
her chest and swung her leg out, almost catching him. She took a   
  
grim satisfaction that he was going to have to watch his step from   
  
now on.  
  
Darien backed up a few paces. Her slim, smooth leg had come   
  
inches away from making sure that his greatest wish wouldn't come   
  
true. Gazing at her sparkling eyes, Darien bluntly asked, "What's   
  
so wrong with wanting me?" Before she could answer, he leaned in   
  
further and said, "I expect you to want me, Serena." Leaning in, he   
  
nibbled at her neck and said, "Just give me one night. I expect it   
  
will change a few things for you."  
  
Serena couldn't hold herself in check any longer. Fine, he   
  
wanted to seduce her. That was a given. She would put him in his   
  
place and seduce him. She snaked her arms around his neck and   
  
pulled him down for a kiss. Sensing him pulling back, she taunted,   
  
"Can't you let a woman seduce you?" Serena pulled him down again   
  
and managed to get him to open his mouth and stick her tongue   
  
inside.  
  
This wasn't an opportunity Darien couldn't--and didn't want   
  
to--pass up. He slid down to the floor, pulling her out of the   
  
chair and on top of him. The woman he had wanted for so long wanted   
  
him actually wanted him, as sinfully and carnally as he wanted her.   
  
Her lithe, lean body was pressed up against his in a hedonistic   
  
manner, rubbing and grinding every single inch of him.  
  
Serena felt herself being flipped over and pinned beneath   
  
Darien. Now, it would happen; she could put a few demons to rest   
  
and quiet her libido. She moaned as Darien's hands snaked their way   
  
up her shirt to caress her breasts. She felt trapped in a delicious   
  
torrent of desire, waiting to burst into flames.  
  
Darien slid his lips down her throat, evoking little sighs and   
  
moans from Serena. She was hotly grinding herself against him,   
  
proving to him that he could have her now, if he asked. "Serena,   
  
are you sure you want this now?"  
  
Serena looked up at him with nearly violet eyes and passion   
  
swollen lips. Did she want this? Boy did she ever! Maybe it   
  
wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it would make her feel a lot   
  
better. "Of course I want this. I wouldn't have started it if I   
  
didn't mean to finish it." Serena dragged her hands down Darien's   
  
body, eliciting a hiss from him.  
  
"Serena," Darien moaned when her hand clutched at him through   
  
his pants. Removing her hands he said, "I'm going to move too far   
  
and too fast for you if you do that." Kissing her he added, "You   
  
can do that next time."  
  
Her heart sped up at the "next time" part and Serena kissed   
  
him back. She sat up for a moment and tore off her shirt. All of   
  
the clothing was getting in the way of what she wanted to do.   
  
Dropping her voice to a whisper, Serena said, "Darien make love to   
  
me."  
  
Darien removed the rest of her clothing and all of his.   
  
Darien poised himself on his elbows, ready to enter. "Serena," he   
  
said in a strained voice, "This is going to be a little tight at   
  
first." Seeing her nod, he gave them both bliss.  
  
***  
  
Serena lay there panting. Who knew it could be like this?   
  
Even when she was younger she had never felt anything as mind   
  
numbing as this. She looked up at Darien and saw her amazement   
  
reflected in his eyes. It had been a mind-blowing experience for   
  
him as well.  
  
It had never been like this. Darien chalked it up to the fact   
  
that he had wanted her for so long and finally got her. That or the   
  
three-year sabbatical from sex. "Serena?" He watched her steel   
  
himself for his question. He shook it off and prodded her, "Want to   
  
go again?"  
  
Serena slowly nodded her head. She looked at him and realized   
  
that things were never going to be the same. Then she reached up to   
  
partake in their passion once again. 


	6. Chapter Five

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Five - A Dinner Date  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Darien paced back and forth outside Serena's door. He would   
  
be surprised if she ever decided to speak to him ever again. That   
  
afternoon had changed everything for him. The quiet knowledge had   
  
rested on the edge of his heart for some time now, but he still   
  
didn't want to acknowledge it. Darien quietly cursed himself for   
  
not taking things more slowly.  
  
On the other side of the door, Serena heard Darien pacing and   
  
swearing. This was no longer simply a business deal; it had turned   
  
into something far more than that. She had slept with the man for   
  
goodness' sake! On his study floor--more than once--to make matters   
  
worse.  
  
Darien couldn't take it anymore. Softly knocking, he asked,   
  
"Is it okay for me to come in, Serena?"  
  
Serena sighed. He sounded like a six-year-old who had broken   
  
a toy and was trying to make up for it. He had broken something all   
  
right; he had been an accomplice in her breaking a promise to   
  
herself. "Come in Darien," she murmured softly, hoping he didn't   
  
hear her.  
  
Darien walked into the room, keeping his gaze riveted on   
  
Serena. She was wearing a navy blue Empire-waist dress that fell to   
  
the floor. Her hair was a mass of golden ringlets piled upon her   
  
head. Darien was tempted to pull the hairpins out of her hair and   
  
make sweet love to her right there, but thought better of it. "Are   
  
you ready to go down?"  
  
Serena stood up and tucked her arm into his. "Lead the way."   
  
Serena's insides were in turmoil. They hadn't used any form of   
  
protection this afternoon; with Darien's wicked and just-sated   
  
smile, all her good intentions had melted with the rest of her   
  
insides. Why did she have to forget it? She wouldn't mind having a   
  
baby, just not right now.  
  
Darien felt her tense after they had left the room. Darien   
  
felt tense himself. But his tension was of a different nature. He   
  
felt like he was twenty again, looking at her clad in her blue   
  
bikini through the window. Having her once didn't satiate his   
  
hunger for her, it made him want her more. "Serena?"  
  
Serena looked up at him. Seeing him dressed in a tuxedo   
  
certainly changed her debate in her mind. She nervously licked her   
  
lips and asked, "Yes?"  
  
Darien turned to face her. He leaned down and kissed her   
  
softly on the lips, "Would you stay with me tonight?"  
  
Serena turned her face away from him. Twice in one day when   
  
they forgot protection? As much as she enjoyed it, she didn't want   
  
to take that chance. Softly, she answered, "Not tonight, Darien.   
  
I'm a little sore at the moment."  
  
Darien stopped in his tracks. He hadn't thought... "Serena?   
  
Did I hurt you badly?"  
  
Wildly blushing, Serena fixated her gaze on the floor. She   
  
hadn't thought that he'd berate himself. Sneaking a peak at him   
  
from the corner of her eye, she could see the concern written all   
  
over his face. Raye had said that he used to be warm and tender,   
  
until he let business warp his mind. "No, you were as gentle as you   
  
could be, given the circumstances."  
  
Darien let out a sigh of relief. He never had wanted to hurt   
  
her, even when she had hurt him in the worst way possible.  
  
***  
  
Dinner had passed in anything but silence. Darien prodded   
  
Serena to tell him all about the business he had just acquired.  
  
"We're a pretty small company in our area, especially compared   
  
to Zfresh Incorporated," Serena said, "But we have a lot of hard   
  
honest workers."  
  
Waiving a piece of asparagus in the air, Darien said,   
  
"Basically, you were a jack-of-all-trades company. Whatever   
  
technology you could get your hands on, you'd market and mass   
  
produce for the public."  
  
"Essentially, yes. Unlike Zfresh Incorporated, we were   
  
prudent enough not to mass-produce anything too harmful. Just think   
  
what would happen if the technology got in the wrong hands," Serena   
  
said sipping a glass of burgundy. "Then again, I'm just a   
  
figurehead."  
  
Looking at a proof sheet, Darien murmured, "It says that you   
  
inherited it from your father, a Mr. Arden Liam Blade."  
  
Serena snorted, "The only reason I was left the company is   
  
that my older brother Michael decided to move to Hollywood and   
  
become a movie star. Arden felt like he had disgraced the family   
  
and he didn't want his illegitimate children to have it."  
  
"Mike Blade is your brother? How many other brothers and   
  
sisters do you have?" Darien asked incredulously.  
  
"It's amazing that two absolutely different people could come   
  
from the same family tree, isn't it?" Serena dabbed her mouth with   
  
a napkin. "Family secrets have a funny way of coming out of the   
  
closet at weird moments. My half sisters and brother prove it."  
  
Darien raised his glass to her; "I second that notion."  
  
"A nosey reporter found my sisters and brother by following   
  
Michael around, then proceeded to ask my mom what she thought. That   
  
reporter was a damn ditz." Serena took a breath and continued, "She   
  
had to have had some brains though, to be able to track Kathleen all   
  
the way to Michigan."  
  
"That's neither here or there, tell me more about yourself."   
  
Darien said, motioning the staff to leave the room.  
  
"Not before you tell me why you changed your name," Serena   
  
said with a smirk.  
  
Darien nervously ran a hand through his hair. He had thought   
  
she wouldn't have remembered him at all, let alone his name. "I had   
  
a falling out with my father, so I changed it to my mother's maiden   
  
name."  
  
Serena practically spit out her wine. Was this man was   
  
telling her that he changed his name because of his father? "Raye   
  
told me something different when I called her this afternoon."  
  
Darien started tapping his fingers on the polished wood of the   
  
tabletop. His plans had just gone straight to hell. If Raye had   
  
said anything remotely close to his plans, he was going to kill her.   
  
"What did she say?"  
  
Serena looked at him. If she didn't know better, she'd think   
  
he was sweating bullets. "She just said that you changed it so a   
  
girl who had been haunting you wouldn't figure out who you were,"   
  
Serena chuckled, "Imagine this, the great Darien afraid of a woman!"  
  
Turning his thoughts carnal, Darien said, "I'm not afraid of   
  
you. In fact, I say we go to the library." Darien scooted back his   
  
chair and went to help Serena out of hers.  
  
Serena looked at him warily. The last time he had that gleam   
  
in his eyes they had... "No!" She shouted at him, "You stay right   
  
where you are!" She swallowed the lump in her throat as he helped   
  
her out of her chair.  
  
Wiggling his eyebrows at her, Darien asked, "What makes you   
  
think we're going to be doing anything in there but reading books?"  
  
Serena glared at him, "Because I'm starting to think that you   
  
have a naturally dirty mind." Glancing down, she added, "Better   
  
tell your buddy that nothing is going on tonight."  
  
Darien grabbed a hold of her and pinned her to the nearest   
  
wall. He caught her lips as she bucked against his hold, silencing   
  
her protests with a simple, possessive act. "Are you sure you don't   
  
want to?"  
  
Serena, her eyes liquid with desire, just stared at him. She   
  
didn't know how he could have her tied up in knots just by looking   
  
at her. Serena looked up at him and whispered, "Don't stop."  
  
"I don't plan to," he said as he deepened the kiss. He kept   
  
kissing her as he edged her into the nearest room and sprawled her   
  
on a rug. He gave her a repetition of the pleasure she received   
  
that afternoon.  
  
***  
  
"Am I hurting you?"  
  
Serena propped herself up on an elbow. They were still   
  
clothed, Serena mused to herself. "No," Serena said as she snuggled   
  
closer to him, "you feel delicious." She leaned up and kissed him,   
  
coaxing him in how much she enjoyed this.  
  
Darien sighed as she kissed him. The fact that she gave   
  
herself to him so willingly was humbling and gave him a sense of   
  
balance in the world, as if this was how it was supposed to be. He   
  
rolled off her and held her close to his chest for a moment. This   
  
month was going to go by far to quickly.  
  
Serena pulled out of his arms and stood up. She needed to   
  
tell him how this was not going to work out anytime soon. "Darien,   
  
we can't do this anymore."  
  
He looked up at her from his position on the floor. Something   
  
must really be troubling her if she would say something like that.   
  
"Why not? I thought you enjoyed it."  
  
That was the problem, she enjoyed it too much. "Nothing   
  
against you, Darien, it's just I want a little time to myself."   
  
Enough time to make sure that she wasn't pregnant.  
  
Darien stood and clasped her hand in his. Come hell or high   
  
water, she was going to be his, she just didn't know it yet. "Fine,   
  
the moment you're ready again, you're going to move into my room   
  
with me."  
  
Serena pulled away from him. He was going too fast too soon.   
  
"I'll see how I feel." She dashed up the stairs and into her set of   
  
rooms, locking the door behind her, more afraid of herself than him. 


	7. Chapter Six

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Six - New Beginnings  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Darien paced outside her door. She had been locked in there   
  
for nearly a week; opening her door only for meals. Darien was   
  
tearing his hair out. Had it never occurred to her that her absence   
  
was a form of torture for him? He was so close to breaking down her   
  
door and making her admit...what? That they shared some sort of   
  
connection even he wouldn't admit? Darien ran a hand through his   
  
hair as he stared at her door, contemplating what it was he wanted   
  
her to admit.  
  
Serena sat at the vanity in her room. She had listened to   
  
Darien pace back and forth for the past week, and she was starting   
  
to get sick of it. She had been mentally coaching herself that it   
  
would be a good thing when she was finally able to leave this place   
  
virtually whole, only to realize that her thoughts invariably   
  
returned to Darien. He had been the only man she had let touch her   
  
after... She shook her head and whispered, "Get the hell out of my   
  
mind," to a cold and empty room.  
  
She rose out of the chair and pressed her ear against the   
  
door. She could hear him breathing heavily and every once and a   
  
while soft curses would be uttered. She let a small tear fall, then   
  
regained her composure. She didn't need to fall apart now. In   
  
response to his soft pleas, she whispered, "Go away," praying that   
  
he would hear her and take his leave.  
  
Darien looked at the door. She was standing behind it, softly   
  
urging him to go away. "Serena," he begged with tears in his voice,   
  
"please let me in." He waited a few minutes in silence, which was   
  
shattered, when he heard a soft, "No."  
  
Serena didn't need him to come in. They would start kissing   
  
and it would be over. Her wait would have been in vain and her   
  
watch would have to start again. "Come back in a week."  
  
From behind her, she heard a soft chuckle. She whirled around   
  
to Darien. He stood with his back to the bookcase. He had dark   
  
circles under his eyes and his skin had lost that healthy glow. He   
  
said in a dark whisper, "I don't think I can wait that long."  
  
She gasped at him. She didn't believe that she could have   
  
reduced him to this. "I don't know how the hell you got in here,"   
  
Serena narrowed her eyes at him, "but you had better remove   
  
yourself. Now."  
  
Darien shook his head at her. "I'm afraid I can't do that,"   
  
he walked over and took her face into his hands, "I'm addicted to   
  
you." Kissing her softly, he said, "I want you so bad, I think I'm   
  
going to burst into flame."  
  
Serena searched his eyes; there was a stark need there as well   
  
as an underlying gentleness. No matter what happened, it was going   
  
to happen; it was out of her hands now. Serena laced her arms   
  
around his neck and deeply kissed him. She abandoned herself to her   
  
senses and threw her problems down the tubes; this felt so right   
  
that nothing could get in the way of it. She breathed, "Oh,   
  
Darien," and became prey to the unrelenting force that had buried   
  
itself inside her skin.  
  
***  
  
Serena lay lazily on the bed, stroking Darien's hair as he lay   
  
on top of her. She must have had a goofy smile on her face, she   
  
felt that happy. She forced him to look at her. "Are we going to   
  
do anything besides have sex?"  
  
Darien gazed into her eyes, drowning in their depths. She   
  
wanted more; he almost jumped for joy. He stretched and said,   
  
"Eventually." He studied her and asked, "Do you really want more?"  
  
Serena felt her spirits lift. Maybe that week apart had done   
  
them good. She idly kissed him, pouring out her nervous energy.   
  
"Do you have a fireplace?"  
  
Darien rolled to the side of the bed, pulling Serena on top of   
  
him. "Of course," he chuckled. "What kind of man would I be if I   
  
didn't have a fireplace?" He gathered her close and kissed the top   
  
of her head. Letting his fingers wander around her back, he   
  
whispered, "I've wanted this for a long time," so quietly that   
  
Serena thought her mind had made it up.  
  
Serena pulled away and sat up; she needed to ask him this now.   
  
"Darien, what would happen if I became pregnant?" Seeing his blank   
  
gaze, she added, "We didn't use protection either of the times we   
  
did...this." She searched his face for an answer.  
  
Darien was blown away. What would he do if she got pregnant?   
  
He pulled her on top of him and traced lazy circles on her back. "I   
  
guess I would help you take care of it." He looked up into her   
  
face; "I would love to have a little girl that looked like you."  
  
Tears gathered in Serena's eyes. She silently coached herself   
  
not to cry. In a choked voice, she said, "I think I would like that   
  
too." Serena got out of bed and threw a shirt and a pair of jeans   
  
on. She grabbed a brush off her vanity and went about viciously   
  
attacking her hair. A pair of warm hands took the brush out of her   
  
hand and began using gentle strokes to untangle the mass.  
  
Nipping Serena's ear, Darien said, "I guess this is my cue to   
  
start getting dressed."  
  
Serena said, with her back turned, "You should take that as a   
  
yes."  
  
Wondering what he had done now, Darien swiftly pulled his   
  
clothes back on. He definitely needed to learn more about Serena   
  
before they moved onto the next stage in their love lives.  
  
***  
  
Serena climbed the stairs after hiding out in the library all   
  
day. It may have been the most craven thing to do, but after what   
  
had happened this morning, she figured the library was the safest   
  
place to be; he wouldn't ravish her in there with the possibility of   
  
maids wandering in and out.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw something red caught   
  
in her door. Slowly opening the door, she grabbed the rose before   
  
it fell on the floor. She sighed as she opened her door, rose   
  
petals had been scattered everywhere, and there was a path of roses.   
  
Dropping to pick up each one, Serena pulled up short when she   
  
encountered a wall.  
  
Darien stood on the other side, watching Serena puzzle over   
  
the wall. The secret entrance to her room had been built in when   
  
his father and mother were first married; the passage connected to   
  
his room and various others. Darien slid back the panel and watched   
  
her follow the path, being careful not to make his presence known.  
  
Serena wandered down the hall, making sure to pick up each   
  
rose, wanting to save and treasure them when she left. It had never   
  
been her intent to fall for Darien, but it had happened all the same   
  
and there was to be no turning back. She edged back a door and   
  
stood in a room that had a fireplace in which the firelight played   
  
on the black and red furnishings. In the middle of the bed,   
  
surrounded by red roses, was a single white rose.  
  
Darien came up from behind her and wrapped her in his arms.   
  
Kissing her neck, he said, "These roses symbolize all the women in   
  
my life. You are the white rose; the only one unique and beautiful   
  
enough to catch my full attention." He stood there for several   
  
moments, listening to the soft shuttering sighs that Serena uttered.  
  
Serena turned around and gazed at Darien. Tears shone in her   
  
eyes as she tried to analyze what it was he was doing. "Darien,   
  
you..."  
  
Darien put a finger to her lips. He didn't want her to say   
  
something that they could both regret; he planned on living for   
  
today and didn't want to move past that. He gathered her in his   
  
arms and relished in the quiet silence of it all; most of all, he   
  
relished in the feel of Serena, his Serena. Darien carried her over   
  
to a chair and set her in his lap. He lifted her chin up and asked   
  
her, "Tell me about your first love."  
  
Serena looked at him wide-eyed. Tracing circles on his chest,   
  
she said, "You get straight to the point, don't you?" Not waiting   
  
for an answer, she told him, "My first love is a mystery man I met   
  
when I was sixteen. The reason he's a mystery man is that I never   
  
saw his face. I could have, mind you, by I didn't want to. I would   
  
have broken it."  
  
Darien sat back, drank in the details, and came to a few   
  
conclusions. The first was that Serena loved him, or at least had   
  
at one point. The second is that if he hadn't been such an ass and   
  
left the first time, he wouldn't have had to buy her out and start   
  
his little charade. Darien suddenly leaned down and kissed her,   
  
cutting off whatever she had been saying about her 'mystery man.'  
  
Serena leaned into the kiss. It was everything that the   
  
previous ones weren't: sweet, gentle, and loving. There was no need   
  
for raw emotion here. The passion from that morning had shattered   
  
the physical barriers, whereas this single innocent, gentle kiss was   
  
shattering and creating new emotional barriers. Who was to know   
  
that they would be tested soon afterwards?  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I pretty much left this chapter alone when I edited it. I liked how   
  
it was written the first time.  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	8. Chapter Seven

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Seven - The Morning After  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Serena awoke in Darien's bedroom, the morning sun, and Darien,   
  
looming over her. She smiled up at him and stretched like a cat. A   
  
woman could get used to looking at a man above her in the morning.  
  
Darien smiled down at her. Damn, but she was beautiful. Her   
  
long hair was in tangles and sleep still clouded her eyes, but he   
  
was aching for her--literally. Instead of burying himself in her   
  
beauty, he settled for a light peck and said, "G'morning   
  
sleepyhead."  
  
Serena smiled up at him. She could never tire of waking up   
  
beneath him. "Good morning," Serena replied, stifling a yawn. She   
  
was sure that if she looked in the mirror, her hair would be a   
  
knotted mess, but she didn't care; she was lying beneath the one she   
  
loved. 'At least I can admit it to myself,' she thought, stretching   
  
again.  
  
Darien stared at her bright blue eyes that were still heavy   
  
with sleep; their brightness and depth never ceased to amaze him.   
  
If only he could convince her to stay with him... "Are you hungry?"  
  
Serena smiled up at him and stretched, "Are you kidding? I'm   
  
famished." She gave him a look that said, 'I wouldn't mind   
  
breakfast in bed, as long as I get to nibble on you.'  
  
Darien looked at her and then at himself. He saw a faint   
  
blush paint her cheeks and then he got up--allowing Serena to do so-  
  
-and started getting dressed. He looked over at Serena, who was   
  
biting her lip and had pulled the covers up to her chin. Darien   
  
walked over and planted a short kiss on her lips. "I'll take you   
  
through the passageway in a moment."  
  
Serena breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to wear her   
  
clothes after what had happened last night. Some little part of her   
  
didn't want to say anything about the shredded state of them. 'I'd   
  
really look like Cinderella then,' she giggled to herself.  
  
Darien handed her a robe. He curiously watched as she placed   
  
her hair in front of her as she lifted the robe, put it on, and   
  
swung the mass so it was lying across her back. He gently laid his   
  
hands across her shoulders and steered her toward the door of the   
  
passageway. Grabbing her hand, he directed her toward the second   
  
door and opened it, gently pushing her inside. "I need to go to my   
  
room for something. Meet me in my study?"  
  
Serena nodded her head and watched him slowly close the door   
  
behind him. She hurriedly grabbed a random pair of jeans and a   
  
sweatshirt and threw them on, hoping to beat him to his study.   
  
Reaching the door a few minutes later, she paused to open it,   
  
hearing voices within.  
  
"Beryl, what a surprise..."  
  
"Come here, honey..."  
  
Serena opened the door and peeked inside. There, in the   
  
middle of the study, was a cherry-haired woman passionately kissing   
  
Darien. Tears silently coursed down Serena's cheeks as she fled up   
  
the stairs and to her room. Immediately, she placed a call into the   
  
airport, requesting a one-way ticket to Michigan. Carlin would be   
  
the only one to help her. She was the only one who understood   
  
Serena. Then, she called the chauffeur, asking him to take her to   
  
the airport. She heard the slight confusion in his voice, but she   
  
didn't care. She needed to get the hell out of there. Finally, she   
  
packed her bags and went down to the waiting car, muttering curses   
  
against Darien, and never looking back.  
  
***  
  
"Beryl, what a surprise..." Darien gaped at Beryl Harpís in   
  
shock. He tucked the little velvet box back into his pocket and   
  
gazed nervously around the room. Where was Serena?  
  
"Come here, honey..." Beryl slithered her arms around him and   
  
kissed him passionately.  
  
There had been a time when Beryl's kisses had excited him, but   
  
now wasn't the time. Serena was going to be his soon, and Beryl   
  
needed to realize that. Darien pulled away and spat on the ground.   
  
He said in a hushed tone, "I'm with someone else, it's best that you   
  
just leave."  
  
Beryl tried to take him back into her arms, "But Darien, I   
  
miss you."  
  
He turned to her and said, "Go find someone else, Beryl."   
  
Walking up to her until she was standing under his nose, he added,   
  
"If you ever come here again, I won't be quite as friendly again."  
  
Beryl's slanted her eyes and took a few steps back. "Well, if   
  
you get tired of the Blade family whore," she screamed at him, "you   
  
know where to find me!" She pivoted and stomped out the door.  
  
Darien waited until he heard her slam the door before he noted   
  
Serena's absence. Stepping into the hallway, he asked, "Byrne,   
  
where's Serena?"  
  
Byrne turned his head away from his master. His master had to   
  
have been as much a cold-hearted bastard as his father to send off   
  
Serena like that and then ask where she was. "Miss Blade has   
  
vacated the premises."  
  
"She's what!" Darien bellowed next to Byrne's ear. "Why   
  
would she do that?"  
  
"Maybe because you've turned into your father!" Byrne yelled   
  
back at him, not caring if Darien got angry.  
  
"Last time I checked I had a heart, unlike that unfeeling   
  
bastard." Darien breathed quietly into the deserted entryway.   
  
"I'll ask again. Byrne, where is Serena?"  
  
"She went home." Byrne said, stiffening his back. "On her   
  
way out, she cursed you and said, 'It'll be a cold day in hell when   
  
I see that two-timing bastard ever again.'"  
  
Darien thought about what had happened today. He and Serena   
  
had woken up. He went into his study. Beryl was waiting for him   
  
when he got there. Beryl had kissed him... Darien ran a hand   
  
through his hair. Well, shit. He messed up good and plenty this   
  
time around. "Did she say where she was going?"  
  
Byrne simply looked at him and said, "She went far enough away   
  
to require a plane."  
  
"Thank you." Darien walked in a daze to his study and   
  
crumpled to the floor. He just had to be an idiot and ruin the one   
  
thing he had worked the hardest. Wallowing in misery, Darien broke   
  
down and cried, realizing that his next task wasn't going to be   
  
easy.  
  
***  
  
Serena gazed dejectedly out the window of the airplane,   
  
silently watching the clouds go by as tears streamed down her face.   
  
Why did he have to be such a bastard and toss her aside like a used   
  
tissue? Especially after...  
  
Blotting her eyes, Serena motioned at the stewardess with her   
  
cell phone. "Is it okay if I make a quick call?" Seeing her nod,   
  
Serena flipped open her phone and dialed an all-to-familiar number.   
  
"Car? This is Rene. Get a room ready, I'm coming home."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
This chapter was originally a little filler chapter to connect to   
  
the next part of the story. I added a little more detail and   
  
hopefully this will help.  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	9. Chapter Eight

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Eight - The Search Begins  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
It had been a week since Serena had vanished without a trace;   
  
Darien had been tense and moody, biting anyone's head off for the   
  
slightest of things. Raye lounged on the couch in his study, there   
  
only because he needed some form of support. Sighing, Raye debated   
  
whether to tell him that she had heard from Serena. Watching him   
  
wear a hole in his carpet, Raye barked, "Darien, sit!"  
  
Darien just glared at her, but obeyed nonetheless. Putting   
  
his head in his hands, Darien said, "It's my fault she left. I had   
  
her here and I screwed up."  
  
"No, you fucked up," Raye said with her usual frankness.   
  
Putting an arm around Darien's shoulders, she said, "I wasn't going   
  
to tell you, but what the hell."  
  
Narrowing his eyes into dangerous slits, Darien asked, "Tell   
  
me what?"  
  
"That I talked to Serena," Raye said, a tiny smile playing on   
  
her face.  
  
Darien's spirits lifted. Maybe there would be hope for him   
  
yet. "What did she say? Did she tell you where she was?"  
  
Raye's smile grew; Darien reminded her of a child on Christmas   
  
Eve. "She didn't say much of anything. She just said that she had   
  
moved in with her sister and was waiting to buy a house."  
  
"How many sisters does she have?" Darien asked, pensive and   
  
overwrought.  
  
"Arden Blade was a busy man. He has five daughters, including   
  
Serena, and two sons." Raye wound a stray piece of hair around her   
  
finger. She couldn't tell Darien that what he had did was something   
  
close to what Arden had done with Ilene and Kathleen.  
  
"What are their names and ages?" Darien asked, hoping to   
  
narrow his search.  
  
"The boys are Michael, 30, and Samuel, 22. The girls are   
  
Serena, 26, Nerys, 24, Kieta, 23, Samuel's twin Samantha, 22, and   
  
Carlin, 20. Michael and Serena's mother's name was Shelby Ronal,   
  
the heiress to the Ronal Cruise Line fortune. Nerys, Samuel, and   
  
Samantha's mother's name was Ilene Tsukino, a second-generation   
  
Japanese-American sculptor. Kieta and Carlin's mother's name was   
  
Kathleen McBride, a semi-famous police psychic. Serena makes sure   
  
she visits her half-siblings at least once a year; however, she's   
  
closer to Nerys, Samantha, and Carlin."  
  
Darien stroked the stubble that had grown on his chin; he   
  
hadn't been taking care of himself since Serena had left. "Where do   
  
they live?"  
  
"Michael, Samuel, and Samantha live here in California, Nerys   
  
lives in Florida, Kieta lives in Wyoming, and Carlin lives in   
  
Michigan," Raye shook her head. It was time to distract him. "The   
  
most resent of her out-of-state sisters she saw was Carlin, so it's   
  
least likely she went there." Raye really hated deceiving him, but   
  
it was for his own good. That and it might delay the vision she had   
  
been having lately.  
  
"I think we should visit Kieta first," Darien said with a   
  
weary sigh. He had a sneaky suspicion that Raye was leading him   
  
around by the nose, but he couldn't put his finger on why.  
  
***  
  
Serena sat bundled up in her sister Carlin's living room. It   
  
was quite chilly, especially by California standards. "How can you   
  
manage to live here? It's freezing!" It never ceased to amaze her   
  
how fickle Michigan's weather could be.  
  
"But never dull," Carlin said, sitting in a chair across from   
  
Serena. Especially went the best way to beat the weather was to be   
  
with someone warm... "And you're changing the subject. You were   
  
telling me exactly why you ran from a hunk who might have   
  
impregnated you."  
  
Serena sighed at her sister's dancing green eyes. Carlin   
  
could be a little minx when she wanted to and was usually laughing   
  
at you from up her sleeve. "I told you already, Car. He was   
  
kissing some other woman. And a redhead at that."  
  
"I'll let that comment about redheads slide," Carlin scowled   
  
sipping a cup of coffee. Her red hair was her crowning glory and   
  
her most startling feature.  
  
"That stuff'll kill you and stunt your growth," Serena said   
  
gesturing to the cup.  
  
"Too late. I'm going to drink it while I still can. What are   
  
you going to name them?"  
  
"Them?" Serena asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
Carlin swore not quite under her breath. She hadn't meant to   
  
let that little bit of information slip. "I'll answer that   
  
question... soon," Carlin said, deliberately trying to be vague.  
  
"You saw something, didn't you?"  
  
Carlin shrugged. She definitely wasn't going to spill the   
  
beans about anything else. "I'm going to read a book, Rene."  
  
Serena looked at her little sister. She knew something but   
  
wasn't going to tell. "Okay, recommend me something."  
  
A smile broke over Carlin's face. She probably shouldn't do   
  
this, but it was going to happen soon anyway. "Look at a baby name   
  
book." It was priceless to see Serena's jaw drop open, Carlin   
  
wished she had a camera.  
  
"You know what I'm having, don't you wench?" Serena said,   
  
standing and putting her hand on her hips.  
  
Carlin darted up the stairs. When she got to the top, she   
  
yelled down, "Duh!"  
  
***  
  
Darien paced back and forth in the airport terminal. His   
  
flight to Wyoming would be boarding in a few minutes. It had taken   
  
him nearly a month to track down Kieta to her small village, but   
  
track her down he did.  
  
"Flight 721 to Cheyenne will be boarding now."  
  
Darien collected his carry-on bag and walked toward the   
  
terminal. If Kieta knew where Serena was, he would get it out of   
  
her. He needed Serena back to make him whole again; even his   
  
business had undergone division since she had left. The part of   
  
Blade, Inc he had managed to take over had been re-taken over by the   
  
remaining part. It seemed like Serena's work, but who knew with the   
  
remaining Blade heirs.  
  
"Sir, your ticket please."  
  
Darien pulled the ticket out and laid it on the counter. He   
  
silently prayed that this wouldn't turn out to be a dead end. He   
  
needed Serena back and wanted to tell her...everything.  
  
"Have a nice flight."  
  
It would be a four-hour drive after he would land in Cheyenne   
  
to Nata. Four more hours to contemplate how dire his situation was.  
  
***  
  
Darien drove inside the village limits, surprised at the   
  
amount of snow on the ground. Although his instincts said   
  
otherwise, he hoped Serena was here. He drove to the gas station   
  
and asked for directions. Gathering gazes as he stepped out of his   
  
rental, Darien brushed them off as he walked inside. Going to the   
  
counter he said, "Excuse me. Can you tell me where Kieta McBride   
  
lives?"  
  
A brunette smacking her gum said, "I can tell you where   
  
McBride lives, but it'll be pointless."  
  
Darien gritted his teeth. This girl was getting on his last   
  
nerve very quickly. "Why not?"  
  
The girl grinned at him. He must be one of Ki's old   
  
boyfriends. "She got married two days ago to Tyree MacNealon and   
  
they're honeymooning in the Bahamas until Christmas."  
  
Darien was frustrated. It was just a dead end. Pulling a   
  
business card out of his pocket, he scribbled his home phone number   
  
on it, and said, "Make sure that Kieta gets this when she gets back.   
  
It has to do with her sister Serena." He stormed out and jumped in   
  
the car. In the mood he was in he needed a drive, a very long   
  
drive.  
  
***  
  
Serena sat with her forehead pressed against the window. They   
  
had been in the car for nearly an hour now and Serena was starting   
  
to go nuts. Pushing herself up, she looked at Carlin. "Why are we   
  
going again?"  
  
Carlin smiled. The quickest way to get Serena cranky was to   
  
put her in a car. "You're going to see if you are pregnant and I'm   
  
going to get a sonogram."  
  
Serena narrowed her eyes. Carlin had pretty much told her   
  
that she was pregnant when she landed in Toledo. "Why don't you   
  
just tell me?"  
  
"It'd be far much more fun to see the look on your face."  
  
Serena slumped back in the seat. It had been nearly two   
  
months since she left Darien's mansion in California. With a sigh   
  
she asked, "What time's the appointment?"  
  
"Mine's after yours so I get to swallow Lake Michigan while   
  
you get to pee in a cup," Carlin said with a smile.  
  
"Thanks for the visual, but that doesn't explain the time."  
  
Laughing, Carlin answered, "It's at two o'clock."  
  
***  
  
"Miss Blade, your results are in," the doctor called into the   
  
waiting room.  
  
Dragging Carlin along, Serena followed the doctor into his   
  
office. Swallowing her nervousness, Serena asked, "Well, am I?"  
  
The doctor motioned her to sit down. Clearing his throat, he   
  
said, "We can't totally be sure unless we have a sonogram but..."  
  
"But what?" This man was going to drive her into the nearest   
  
loony bin. It didn't help that she had almost no patience, but that   
  
was beside the point.  
  
"You have enough 'pregnancy' hormones to sufficiently carry   
  
two fetuses."  
  
"Are you saying I might be having twins?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Serena felt dizzy and light-headed. Twins... not one, but two   
  
of Darien's children. Serena said, "Merry Christmas to me," and   
  
fainted.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
This was one of my favorite chapters--partially because it was the   
  
fastest one written. That and Serena's reaction cracked me up.  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	10. Chapter Nine

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Nine - Dealing With Pregnancy  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Serena, you need to wake up," Carlin whispered into her   
  
sister's ear. "You need to feed those babies." It had been a week   
  
since Serena had found out about the twins. Trying to keep her from   
  
getting too depressed about her situation, Carlin had called Nerys   
  
and flew her to Chequoa Beach so they could both help Serena in her   
  
time of need. Nerys and Carlin had always been close, but with   
  
Carlin pregnant herself, it was a hard task.  
  
"Wake up, Meatball Brains. We're supposed to go shopping   
  
today and I know you don't want to miss that." Nerys said a little   
  
sharper than Carlin had. She didn't see why it was necessary for   
  
her to come here, but here she was, stuck with two pregnant women.  
  
"I know how to get her up," Carlin said as she grinned evilly.   
  
Lowering herself to Serena's ear, she whispered, "Serena, Darien's   
  
here."  
  
Serena sat straight up in bed. Seeing Nerys and Carlin   
  
giggling at her, she screamed, "That's not funny."  
  
"Well, you seemed to perk right up when I said his name,"   
  
Carlin giggled as Serena threw a pillow at her.  
  
"Put a sock in it kid. I don't want my niece or nephew to end   
  
up stupid. Then again, with you as it's mom and Galen as it's   
  
dad..." Serena said as she stuck her tongue out at Carlin.  
  
"Galen? The cutie with the black hair? Hot damn, Car, you   
  
did good."  
  
Carlin glared at Serena as she told Nerys, "It was a one-night   
  
stand and he doesn't remember anything. It'd be nice to keep it   
  
that way." Grinning at Serena, she said, "Serena did better than I   
  
did. She slept with the guy who took over her portion of Blade,   
  
Inc."  
  
Nerys laughed at the look on Serena's face. She could swear   
  
that there was smoke coming out of Serena's ears. "It's okay, Rene.   
  
Sammy took your part back over."  
  
"Sammy set up that coup? I guess I'll have to thank Mika when   
  
I see her next," Serena said as she laid her head back down.   
  
Mikaela Ronal was Sammy's girlfriend and one of the best workers at   
  
Blade Inc. She was one of the people--along with Sammy--who ran the   
  
company with such efficiency, Serena wanted to kiss her.  
  
"Oh no you don't. Get up. Now," Nerys said as frown lines   
  
appeared between her eyes. "Besides, I want to hear about Darien   
  
and how you two met."  
  
Serena crossed her eyes at her sister. She didn't want to   
  
tell them anything and Carlin knew anyway. "It's easy. He took   
  
over my portion of the business, asked for me by name, and said that   
  
I would spend the month with him or else."  
  
"I pity your children," Nerys said with a smile. Half the   
  
reason she and Serena were so close was their constant banter. They   
  
usually had argued and Serena was the one who gave her the now   
  
permanent white streak in her hair.  
  
"Me too," Serena said as she fiddled with the blanket. As   
  
much as she "pitied" them, she wanted them. Heaven help her, but   
  
these babies may prove to be the best thing to ever happen to her.   
  
With tears in her eyes, she asked, "Is it wrong to love them   
  
already?"  
  
Carlin put an arm around her sister. She knew what Serena was   
  
going through. It was hard not to love the babies that were   
  
fathered by the man you desperately loved. "No, Rene, it's not   
  
wrong. I love mine already." God help the man who helped create   
  
these children if he ever tried to wrench them away; he would feel a   
  
pain worse than the deepest pits of hell.  
  
***  
  
Raye stared at the phone. A million thoughts raced through   
  
her head; the foremost being 'Serena's pregnant.' She didn't know   
  
where the raspy voice had gotten her number, but it did and said the   
  
phrase that would pull Darien in forever. Raye sat up and   
  
stretched, feeling as if she had aged twenty years in that two-  
  
minute span. She couldn't tell him, not until Serena decided to do   
  
so herself. Her brother was a big boy; he could fix this mess on   
  
his own.  
  
Darien looked at his sister from the doorway. Whatever was   
  
said on the phone had scared her shitless; and it had something to   
  
do with Serena. Leaning on the doorjamb, Darien casually asked,   
  
"What did they have to say?"  
  
Raye looked at her brother and decided that he could find   
  
Serena on his own. If he was that damned determined, he would find   
  
her within the year, if she came out of hiding. "They said that   
  
Serena was spotted in Wyoming again." Standing up, Raye walked over   
  
to her brother and gave him a hug. Pulling away and smoothing a   
  
lapel on his jacket, Raye said, "I can't do it Darien. It's tearing   
  
me apart. I need to give up the search for Serena. If she decides   
  
that she wants to be found, she will be. Until then..."  
  
Darien looked down at his sister, "That'll be fine, Raye. I   
  
shouldn't ask you to shoulder some of my burden." He moved out of   
  
her way and heard her mumble a soft "thank you" as she walked past.   
  
Watching her retreating back, he softly cursed himself for being so   
  
stupid. Between Raye and Serena, he had two women leading him   
  
around by the nose. Raye had cleverly diverted him and sent him on   
  
that wild goose chase in Wyoming. Serena was leading him around by   
  
his heartstrings and there was a possibility that she was going to   
  
be a mother. His last meeting with his hired detective had said as   
  
such.  
  
Darien ran a hand through his hair; everything seemed to be   
  
piling up on him. The coup at Blade, Inc. had to have been   
  
engineered by a woman. It was both underhanded and strong; almost a   
  
move Serena would pull, if she weren't just a figurehead. Serena...   
  
God he missed her. He had been so close and screwed it all up by   
  
catering to a client.  
  
"Darien? I'm leaving now," Raye called from the doorway. It   
  
would be the best thing for him if she just left; he would survive,   
  
he always had before.  
  
Darien enveloped her in a hug. Looking down at her suitcases,   
  
he asked, "Planning to go on a trip?"  
  
"Yeah. I think I'd like to go somewhere cold. Like Maine or   
  
Wyoming," Raye said as she picked up her suitcases.  
  
"Well, have fun," Darien said as she walked out the door. As   
  
an afterthought he added, "I sure as hell won't."  
  
***  
  
"Rene, we have a visitor," Nerys said from the window. She   
  
watched as a raven-haired woman stepped out of the car. The woman   
  
held a look of triumph and uncertainty in her eyes, something that   
  
intrigued Nerys.  
  
Walking into the living room from the kitchen, Serena asked,   
  
"Who is it?" Her hand instinctively flew to her stomach. She was   
  
quite protective of her twins already; if anyone made a remark about   
  
her widening middle, Nerys or Carlin would have to step in to hold   
  
Serena back. Sometimes, it took them both.  
  
"You better answer the door."  
  
Giving Nerys a look, Serena opened the door to find Raye   
  
standing there. "Raye! What are you doing here?" Pulling her   
  
friend inside, she looked out before closing the door. Narrowing   
  
her eyes at Raye, she asked, "Does he know you're here?"  
  
Raye shook her head. "I used my traveling alias, changed   
  
planes twice, and drove the last half hour here. If he found me,   
  
I'll be surprised."  
  
The girls whipped around when they heard Carlin squeak from   
  
the kitchen. Seeing she was trapped, she said, "It's nice to meet   
  
you, Raye. I'm glad to see you stayed away from Jadeite."  
  
Looking at the ruby-haired pipsqueak, Raye could only nod   
  
numbly and say, "I'm glad, too." Jadeite had been her boyfriend   
  
when she and Chad decided they needed some "space" almost a year   
  
ago. Jadeite had turned from loving boyfriend to enraged lover at   
  
the mere mention of Chad's name. Breaking it off with him hadn't   
  
been easy either; she still bore the scar on her lower back.  
  
Serena laughed on the look on both Raye and Carlin's faces.   
  
Carlin's instinct was to spout visions and Raye's was to clam up.   
  
"Raye, this is the sister I'm staying with. She's psychic like   
  
you."  
  
Raye slowly nodded her head and took Carlin's hand into hers.   
  
"It's nice to meet you Miss McBride. I assume that you were the one   
  
to call me?"  
  
Carlin's eyes grew as round as saucers, "You're...you're..."  
  
Raye smiled and nodded. Enveloping Carlin in a hug, she said,   
  
"I don't mind. California was getting far too stifling."  
  
Nerys tugged at the white streak that ran through her short   
  
black hair at the exchange. If she didn't know any better, she'd   
  
say that Carlin had been spooked by Raye's 'power.' Slowly walking   
  
away from the window, she stood next to Raye and did her best to be   
  
menacing. "We don't need to scare both the pregnant women in this   
  
household."  
  
Raye looked at her and nodded. "It wouldn't be any good to   
  
scare either of them. Especially my niece and nephew."  
  
Serena, who had been sitting on the couch, nearly gagged on   
  
her water. "Niece and nephew. Whoa, I haven't been to the doctor   
  
to determine their sex yet."  
  
Carlin smiled weakly at Serena, "I guess now's not a good time   
  
to tell you that you'll..."  
  
Serena cut her off, "I don't want to hear about my damn   
  
future, I want to live it. Got it?"  
  
Raye nudged Nerys. Getting her attention, she asked, "Is it   
  
just me, or has Serena gotten really cranky since she's been   
  
pregnant?"  
  
"Don't worry, you're not going to miss any of the madness,"   
  
she replied to Raye. "Oh, and she's usually crankier."  
  
"I heard that," Serena said, causing the girls to collapse   
  
into a fit of giggles.  
  
***  
  
Darien wiped a weary hand across his face. Serena had been   
  
gone for five months now and Raye two. Those girls had managed to   
  
pan out faster than anyone he knew. Sitting across from him was the   
  
PI he had hired. Chad Jacobson came from a wealthy background and   
  
had been to the best law enforcement schools money could buy, but   
  
even he was starting to grow weary of all the invariable tasks they   
  
had been going through.  
  
Chad picked up a bottle of brandy and poured a glass. "Where   
  
did Raye say she was going again?" Chad hated this. He had a vague   
  
idea where Raye was, but Darien needed to find her on his own. It   
  
wasn't his place to mess with free will.  
  
Darien stared blankly at the wall and said, "Wyoming or Maine,   
  
somewhere cold." When Raye took off in January, it hadn't occurred   
  
to him that her destination was odd. Several months later had   
  
changed that thinking.  
  
Chad sighed. If Darien was going to stumble through this,   
  
Chad didn't see the problem in giving him a little help. "Then   
  
we'll assume where Serena is it's cold." Chad paused a moment   
  
before continuing on, "That would rule out that she'd been with   
  
either Samantha or Nerys in the last two months."  
  
A light started to shine in Darien's eyes. They had never   
  
considered this whole new angle before. "That would make sense."  
  
Chad smiled and rubbed his chin. Boy when he got on a roll,   
  
he got on a roll. "Even more so if Serena was pregnant." Ever   
  
since Chad had signed on, he knew, deep down in his bones, that   
  
Serena was pregnant. Couldn't tell you why, he just knew. Once   
  
Raye got there, her little messages let him know he was right and   
  
had been all along.  
  
Darien got a stupid grin on his face as he thought about the   
  
little girl Serena would have--her blonde hair and his deep blue   
  
eyes. Serena would probably be slightly rounded by now and   
  
marveling at the life inside her; and he wanted to be a part if it.   
  
"I hope she is pregnant."  
  
Chad just shook his head and tried to change the subject,   
  
"Have you been able to get a hold of Kieta yet?"  
  
Darien nodded, "Yeah. She just called me last week and told   
  
me to come see her. She even said to tag you along."  
  
Chad frowned and went back to work reading Raye's file. If he   
  
ever got his hands on her...  
  
"Jacobson," Darien said calmly, "you're drooling all over my   
  
sister's picture."  
  
Chad blushed and returned his eyes to his file. They had   
  
checked the airport records and Raye had gone to Wyoming, like she   
  
said, but when compared to hotel ledgers, Raye Carlson hadn't stayed   
  
in Cheyenne. Pondering that, Chad reached over and grabbed Kieta's   
  
file. Kieta McBride --scratch that, McNealon-- was the eldest child   
  
of Kathleen McBride and Arden Blade. Her mother was a well-known   
  
psychic and had possibly given the gift to her children. "Is Mrs.   
  
McNealon psychic?"  
  
Darien inclined his head, "I don't know. If Raye was here,   
  
she could tell us. She's a little psychic herself."  
  
Chad's ears perked up in interest, "Really? What's her   
  
specialty?"  
  
Darien chuckled at Chad's enthusiasm. If Raye were here,   
  
she'd flip that her psychic abilities didn't repulse a man, for   
  
once. "She's precognitive to a certain degree and a little   
  
telepathic, but only to certain people."  
  
"Maybe Mrs. McNealon can help us find Raye."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
***  
  
Carlin sat twitching in Kieta's living room. It had been Ki's   
  
brilliant plan to have Carlin--now six months pregnant--come here   
  
and meet Darien. "You'd be able to get a better on reading him than   
  
I ever could," Ki had put it, so here she was, six months pregnant   
  
and spying for her sister. This was going to be great, damn great.  
  
"Quit twitching. You look like a two-year-old," Kieta said as   
  
she pranced into her living room. She may have been a good   
  
astrologer and empathizer, but she was no mind reader. That had   
  
been her mom and Car's department.  
  
"If you were six months pregnant, you'd be twitching too. Do   
  
you know how hard it is to get comfortable? Serena's just the same   
  
way, except she gets to have twice the fun." Carlin was starting to   
  
wish that her and Galen didn't have that wild night, but oh well.   
  
No use going back now.  
  
Kieta smiled. She felt sorry for her sisters, but they were   
  
old enough to take care of their own problems. Draping an arm   
  
around Carlin, she asked, "Does Serena know what she's having yet?"  
  
Carlin smiled as she thought back to a week ago. "She fell   
  
out of her chair when the doctor told her." Laughing, she added,   
  
"You should have seen her face when the doctor told her she'd   
  
probably go into labor a month early and that our kids would   
  
probably share birthdays. She about died on the spot!"  
  
Kieta shook her head, trying to contain her laughter. Her   
  
youngest sister was a lot funnier since she had become pregnant.   
  
"I'm not surprised." Pausing a moment, she said, "I heard from Sam   
  
today."  
  
Carlin sat up in her chair. It had to be something if   
  
Samantha decided to grace them all with her presence. "What did she   
  
want?"  
  
Looking at her nails, Kieta said, "Apparently there is going   
  
to be a ball at the end of December and she wants you and Serena to   
  
go."  
  
Immediately, Carlin replied, "She wants to match Serena and   
  
Darien up."  
  
Kieta let out a whistle. Generally Car's predictions happened   
  
when she meditated or something like that; to have it come out of   
  
the blue was significant. "I'll be damned. Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive." Carlin may not have really liked Sam, but she   
  
loved her anyway. "She wants me to know too. She must be   
  
practicing."  
  
Before Kieta could answer, there was a knock on the door.   
  
Shooting a glance at Carlin, she went and answered it. Opening it,   
  
she gaped up at a man that was dark as sin and as mad as Hades.   
  
Sticking her hand out, she said, "You must be Darien." Turning   
  
toward his companion, she smiled and said, "You must be Mr.   
  
Jacobson." Opening the door wider, she motioned them to come in.   
  
"Sit down in the living room, I'll be in a moment."  
  
Darien stalked into the living room. He had been in a foul   
  
mood all morning and couldn't put his finger on why. Turning into   
  
the room, a small red-haired sprite caught his eye. "Who might you   
  
be?"  
  
Carlin smiled. She could see why Serena had fallen for him.   
  
Extending her hand from the chair, she said, "I'm the baby of the   
  
family."  
  
Chad tipped his hat toward her, "Miss McBride?"  
  
Carlin smiled even more. Boy would she have something to tell   
  
the girls when she got home. "The only one left, but you boys can   
  
call me Carlin." Catching their gazes drifting toward her abdomen,   
  
Carlin added, "But not for long." She caught the sadness in   
  
Darien's eyes; it was hidden, but there all the same. "Would you   
  
like me to make a prediction?"  
  
Darien was a little taken aback by her question. "You're   
  
precognitive?" Seeing her nod, he asked, "Can you tell me when I'll   
  
see Serena again?"  
  
Carlin smiled; he was nice, perfect for Serena, and really in   
  
love with her. "Sure, since I saw that answer a few days ago, I can   
  
tell you. You'll see her again in December and you'll finally track   
  
her down in June." Seeing him sadden even more, she said quickly,   
  
in lieu of an explanation, "She needs to go through something major   
  
before you can see her. Don't give up, she hasn't on you."  
  
Chad observed the scene quietly. He had the same sentiments,   
  
but he wasn't going to say anything to Darien. Chad turned toward   
  
her and asked, "Carlin? When is Raye coming home?"  
  
She looked at the young detective and slightly shook her head,   
  
"I don't know. But when she does, it'll be long before Serena, but   
  
you already knew that."  
  
Chad stood looking at her gape-eyed. He saw Carlin give a   
  
little half-smile and knew she knew about him and Raye. Before he   
  
could say anything, Kieta came into the room.  
  
Rubbing her hands together, she said, "Okay. Let's get to   
  
business."  
  
***  
  
A few hours later, Chad and Darien were ushered out the front   
  
door by Kieta. She had politely answered their questions, but once   
  
Carlin started to get tired, she ushered them out the door.  
  
"I never expected to see the youngest one here," Chad said as   
  
he rubbed his brow. Carlin had been a wild card, seeing her   
  
pregnant made it even wilder.  
  
"Neither did I," Darien said as tears pricked his eyes. He   
  
thought they had finally found her, but that wasn't the case. At   
  
least he'd see her in December if Carlin's prediction was right.   
  
Hopefully, Raye would come home before that. Wiping his eyes on his   
  
sleeve, he turned toward Chad and said, "Let's go. I want to go   
  
home and start from square one."  
  
Chad mutely nodded and followed Darien's retreating back. If   
  
his gut feeling was right, they'd see Raye almost six months before   
  
they finally tracked down Serena.  
  
Inside the house, Carlin lay on the couch, staring at the   
  
ceiling. "He will find her, you know," she said to no one in   
  
particular. This wasn't a prediction, where the future was   
  
uncertain; this was an assurance, something that would happen   
  
whether Serena was ready or not.  
  
"Of course he will. He's a man bound and determined to find   
  
the woman he loves," Kieta said as she handed Carlin a glass of   
  
water. "The question is, will Serena be able to stay hidden for   
  
that long?"  
  
"It's Serena," Carlin said slowly rising. "She may be loud   
  
and boisterous sometimes, but she can be pretty damn quiet when she   
  
wants to."  
  
Kieta didn't reply and just stared at Carlin. Her little   
  
sister had grown up right under her nose. Wiping her nose, she   
  
collected Carlin in a hug, "It's killing not to tell Galen, isn't   
  
it?"  
  
Carlin let a tear drip down her cheek. She hated it when   
  
Kieta could pluck her feelings out of the air. "I just think..."  
  
"That's your and Serena's problem, you both 'just think.' You   
  
should just tell him, he might act differently than you think." At   
  
least Kieta hoped so, for both Serena and Carlin's sake.  
  
***  
  
'Carlin may be a month farther along than me,' Serena thought,   
  
'but I look like I'm the one who's farther along.' Here it was,   
  
only March, and Serena was ready to have the kids. Her ankles were   
  
swollen all to hell and she was only allowed to walk around the   
  
house if she needed to do something. Even worse, the Terror Twins   
  
(as she dubbed them) were trying to do flips through all hours of   
  
the night. She was ready to be done.  
  
She sat up as she heard someone knocking on the door. She   
  
called, "Coming!" as she went and answered the door. Swinging the   
  
door open when she got to it, she saw a young man wringing his hands   
  
and looking at his feet. "Can I help you?"  
  
He swung his gaze up and Serena saw the most amazing pair of   
  
gray eyes ever. He nervously licked his lips and said, "I'm Galen   
  
McHail. Is Carlin home? My brother said she's having my kid."  
  
Serena took a step back. They were in deep water now.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
This chapter took about a week to write. I especially loved the   
  
little cliffhanger at the end.  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	11. Chapter Ten

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Ten - Almost Caught  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Carlin gaped with wide eyes when she opened the door, holding   
  
her travelling bag. Galen and Serena were sitting on the couch   
  
talking. Serena and Galen, the two people on Earth she thought--  
  
okay hoped--would never meet, were gabbing away as if they had known   
  
each other forever. Suddenly, both sets of eyes swung on her.   
  
'Please,' she thought, 'let me die now. Don't let him ask any   
  
questions.'  
  
Serena studied her sister. She had the proverbial deer caught   
  
in the headlights look. Serena stood up and gave Carlin a hug.   
  
"Back from Ki's already?"  
  
Before, Carlin could reply, Galen muscled his way in. "Was it   
  
safe for you to be travelling in...in..."  
  
Carlin took a step or two backward and said, "Of course it was   
  
safe. For as far along as I am, I'm not really that big."  
  
Galen snuck in and breathed, "It'd be pretty interesting to   
  
know how far along you really are. Your sister kept dodging the   
  
subject."  
  
Carlin just gazed at him. In the last six months, he had   
  
gotten handsomer, and sexier, than when she had seen him last. He   
  
had let his hair grow long and his eyes were shadowed. She prayed   
  
fervently that she was the cause of them; then she'd know her   
  
feelings were mirrored. "I'm far enough along to show," she said as   
  
she mentally kicked herself.  
  
He arched an eyebrow, then reached forward, and touched her   
  
abdomen. He could only vaguely remember that night six months ago,   
  
when both of them were so drunk that they didn't care about   
  
protection or anything else except their unquenched passion.   
  
"Carlin, I know she's mine." Lowering his voice to a whisper, he   
  
spoke in a way that sent chills up her spine, "I remember everything   
  
from that night." He looked at her impishly, wiggling his eyebrows,   
  
"I mean 'everything.'"  
  
Carlin looked for Serena, but her sister decided to vacate the   
  
room for the time being. Pulling herself away from Galen, she said,   
  
"I need to lie down. Jet lag and pregnancy aren't a good mix."  
  
As she moved to walk past him, Galen said, "This isn't done by   
  
a long shot." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her   
  
passionately. Pulling away, he stalked angrily toward the door;   
  
turning only once to say, "Remember that we're far from over."  
  
Carlin dropped to the floor like a ton of bricks. This was   
  
happening far too soon; far, far too soon for her liking.  
  
Serena peeked her head inside the door. She didn't feel like   
  
it was her place to interfere with Carlin's life when Car hadn't   
  
messed with hers. "Car? Are you okay?"  
  
Carlin ran her hand across her eyes. She wanted, no, needed   
  
to be strong for Serena. "I'll be fine. Seeing him after so long   
  
innerved me."  
  
"Well, he was surprised." Hell, surprised wasn't the word;   
  
blindsided is more like it. He hadn't expected to see Serena   
  
pregnant, but seeing Carlin must have drove him off the deep end.   
  
"What did he say?"  
  
Carlin sighed. Serena would find out anyway, it would be   
  
better to get it out now. "He said that we're 'far from over.'"   
  
She turned her gaze to Serena. She wanted Galen so much, but it   
  
wouldn't work out. "I want him, Rene, so much that it hurts to   
  
breathe. Ya know? When the air gets heavy when he's near and   
  
things like that." She threw her hands up in the air, "It's   
  
multiplied now that I'm pregnant."  
  
Serena just stood there and nodded. She felt the same way   
  
about Darien, obviously he did too because he was looking for her,   
  
but it was starting to fade. Hopefully, the sooner the better.  
  
***  
  
Chad threw a folder on Darien's desk. "It's a good thing you   
  
gave me your passwords. Raye sent this to you via e-mail."  
  
Darien eyed the folder wearily and looked back at Chad. "Is   
  
it good?"  
  
Biting his lip to contain his smile, Chad said, "Why don't you   
  
look and tell me what you think?"  
  
Sliding the folder across his desk, Darien looked at it as if   
  
it may contain some infectious disease. Edging a corner up, he saw   
  
a flash of color and thought it was a picture. Flipping the cover   
  
up, Darien caught his breath at the picture he saw. It was Serena   
  
with a half-hearted smile caressing her belly--her very swollen   
  
belly. Below, the caption said, "Serena and babies - 5 months."  
  
Darien whooped for joy. He was going to be a father, and   
  
soon. From the picture, it looked like Serena was going to bust at   
  
any moment. Letting that knowledge rest on the edge of his heart,   
  
Darien flipped through the rest of the photos. There were several   
  
where Serena was caught unawares by the camera and a few where she   
  
was even sleeping. He took a few out for himself and gave Chad the   
  
folder back. "Look for clues in the pictures. Maybe we'll finally   
  
be able to find her."  
  
Chad nodded his head. Studying the pictures, he slowly shook   
  
his head. The only way to find out where they were would be to   
  
actually fly to Michigan or somewhere else in the Midwest and   
  
personally look for the landmarks in the pictures. Raye had taken a   
  
great risk in sending these pictures. He glanced up at Darien and   
  
said, "This isn't going to be easy. Many of these places are   
  
unrecognizable unless you're actually there." Chad glanced back at   
  
the picture containing Raye. "It's amazing that she was able to   
  
send these to us."  
  
Darien picked up the nearest picture, one of Serena and Carlin   
  
hugging, and stared at it. If he hadn't messed everything up...   
  
"You're right, Chad. We should sit back and relax. Carlin told me,   
  
while you were talking to Kieta, that Raye will be home before   
  
August."  
  
Chad glared at him, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? That   
  
means that Raye will be home in less than five months." He paused   
  
for a moment and seemed to look inward, "Raye's staying long enough   
  
to make sure that Serena and the baby are okay."  
  
Darien narrowed his eyes and went back to looking at the   
  
pictures. He softly smiled as he looked at the ones of Serena   
  
sleeping. One of her small hands was delicately curled on her   
  
stomach, comforting the life within. Letting his eyes water at the   
  
beautiful sight, Darien whispered, "As soon as I find you, I'm not   
  
going to let either of you go."  
  
***  
  
"What did you two do?"  
  
Carlin and Raye jumped guiltily. Serena was going to be so   
  
pissed when she found out what she and Raye had done. "Serena, you   
  
should sit down."  
  
Serena glared at both Carlin and Raye. They were planning a   
  
surprise for her or they had done something really stupid; Serena   
  
was wagering on the latter. "Don't tell me what to do," she growled   
  
in retaliation, but sat down nonetheless. They were into April now   
  
and Serena's symptoms were getting worse. Grant it, she wasn't   
  
getting much bigger, but she could say she possessed a pair of   
  
'cankles' due to how swollen her ankles were and she was starting to   
  
lose her appetite. Carlin and Raye had to hover over her in order   
  
to make sure she ate. "Please tell me that you feel as miserable as   
  
I look," Serena asked Carlin.  
  
Carlin looked over at her sister. Although Serena was only   
  
six months along, she looked as if she was due tomorrow. Carlin was   
  
seven months along and even she didn't look that big. In a soothing   
  
voice, she said, "Serena, you don't look that bad. You've just been   
  
pregnant for too long." She sat down next to Serena and kissed her   
  
forehead, "You, Raye, and I are going to a salon." When Serena   
  
opened her mouth to speak, Carlin forestalled her and said, "No   
  
buts. We're going to get beautified and that's that."  
  
Raye moved over to her and said, "You should do it. It might   
  
be the last time you get out until the babies are a little older."  
  
Serena's gaze wavered from Raye to Carlin, and back, several   
  
times. She didn't know what they were planning, but they did have a   
  
point. "All right, I'll go."  
  
The girls grabbed their coats and Raye drove the trio to the   
  
only salon in town. They entered and signed up for haircuts. A few   
  
moments later, a woman with red hair approached Serena. "Right this   
  
way, Miss Blade."  
  
Serena studied the hairdresser as she was led to her chair.   
  
She looked a little like... "Emerald? Is that you?"  
  
Emerald nodded and turned away. She really hadn't wanted to   
  
hurt Serena all those years ago, but some things have to happen in a   
  
certain order. "Sit down. I see you're doing well for yourself."  
  
Serena looked at her stomach, "You have no idea how well."   
  
She clasped Emerald's hand when she came in front of her, "What   
  
happened to Diamond and you? Why are you all the way out here?"  
  
Emerald gave a small smile. With different circumstances, she   
  
and Serena could have been best friends. "Diamond left me a few   
  
months ago for this red head he was seeing in California. My   
  
brothers live out here and Galen's helping me out."  
  
Serena bust up laughing. Fate sure had a wicked sense of   
  
humor. "Is Galen's last name McHail?"  
  
Emerald smiled. Maybe Serena was the one Galen had knocked   
  
up. "Yeah. He's been telling me that I'm going to be an aunt soon.   
  
Are you the mom?"  
  
Serena shook her head, "My little sister Carlin is the mommy.   
  
She's the little redhead who's getting her hair cut now."  
  
"Well, I'll be damned," Emerald whistled. "It's a small   
  
world."  
  
"And constantly getting smaller." Serena looked at Emerald   
  
and settled down to business, "What do you think I should do to my   
  
hair?"  
  
Emerald smiled and twirled Serena so she was facing the   
  
mirror, "Personally, I think..."  
  
***  
  
Serena fluffed her hair, "I'm impressed, Emerald. I never   
  
thought I'd be able to pull hair off this short." Emerald had cut   
  
Serena's hair from its previous length, from the bottom of her back,   
  
to her chin and had put in layers.  
  
Emerald took a step back and said, "Having hair this short now   
  
will be a help when the babies come later. You won't have to worry   
  
about them pulling on your hair."  
  
Serena stood up and started to leave. Having second thoughts,   
  
she turned back around and asked, "Would you like to come to   
  
Carlin's and mine baby shower? We're having it next week."  
  
Emerald stood there surprised. If she were in Serena's shoes,   
  
she wouldn't have even looked back. She nodded yes and added,   
  
"Diamond was wrong when he used to talk about you. You're far more   
  
forgiving and caring than most of us could be." She wiped at the   
  
tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes and gathered   
  
Serena in her arms, "Thanks for giving me another chance."  
  
By this time, Serena was crying too. Damn hormones. She   
  
pulled out of the hug and said, "It's no problem. Everyone deserves   
  
a second chance."  
  
Carlin came up from behind and said, "Remember those words   
  
when the time comes."  
  
Before Serena could ask what she meant, Raye spoke up. "It's   
  
time for us to leave. See ya next week, Emerald."  
  
The trio walked out of the salon and got into Raye's car.   
  
Carlin turned upon Serena and asked, "Aren't you glad we got you out   
  
of the house?"  
  
Looking back, Serena simply said, "Yes, I am."  
  
***  
  
Darien was starting to get cagey. When Raye sent the third   
  
set of pictures, he knew where they were; or at least where some of   
  
the pictures had been taken. If Chad wasn't out chasing a lead at   
  
this very moment, they would have been on the nearest plane. "Where   
  
the hell could he be?"  
  
"I take it you're talking of me," Chad said as he walked   
  
through the doorway. The lead he'd been chasing turned out to be a   
  
dead end. He ended up spending the day talking with various   
  
transients, only to find that they had lied to collect the reward   
  
Darien offered. Chad ran a hand through his hair aggressively. He   
  
was starting to get slightly pissed at the whole reward thing; it   
  
had only caused trouble and a whole mess of dead ends.  
  
"Have you seen the last pictures that Raye sent?" Darien   
  
asked as he waved them at Chad, forgetting that Chad had printed   
  
them off this morning.  
  
Chad blew a wisp of hair out of his eyes, "Of course. I'm the   
  
one who gave them to you this morning." He suspiciously eyed the   
  
pictures and asked cautiously, "Find anything good?"  
  
Darien beamed like a little boy who had discovered something   
  
new. "You bet your psychic ass I did." He chuckled when Chad's jaw   
  
dropped and he started sputtering. Darien patted Chad's back and   
  
said, "If you want to keep those kind of 'secrets' to yourself,   
  
don't make it obvious."  
  
Chad turned away from Darien. Was his link to Raye as obvious   
  
too? Looking back at Darien, he decided the answer was no. Letting   
  
out a sigh of relief, he said, "You caught me." Looking back at the   
  
photos, and trying to divert the attention from himself, Chad asked,   
  
"What did you find?"  
  
"They stayed in Florida for part of Serena's sixth month. In   
  
the corner of the picture, you can just see the outline of a   
  
portrait gallery that bases itself in Florida and is, in fact, two   
  
blocks from a condo we own down there." Darien was pretty damned   
  
pleased with himself and his face said, 'See, I can do things when   
  
you're gone.'  
  
Chad rubbed his chin. It was quite interesting what happened   
  
behind your back. "Alright, it's off to Florida we go. We'll   
  
question Nerys and be back in time to celebrate Easter with your   
  
mother."  
  
***  
  
Serena gazed warily out the window of the airplane. Carlin   
  
had been so damn adamant about them leaving that morning. When   
  
Serena questioned her, all she said was, "I'll tell you when we get   
  
home." This week was supposed to be fun visiting Nerys and showing   
  
her how big they had both gotten; and it was fun, until this   
  
morning.  
  
Serena shifted in her seat and gazed at Carlin. The poor kid   
  
was starting to get huge and her due date was at the end of June.   
  
Galen was going to be happy; he was already kissing Serena's feet   
  
for keeping him updated on Carlin's condition. Carlin didn't know   
  
it yet, but he was going to be taking them home. 'The look on her   
  
face would be worth it,' Serena thought as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
A few hours later, Serena woke to find Carlin staring at her.   
  
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Serena looked up at her and asked,   
  
"Is something wrong, Car?"  
  
Carlin smirked at her sister. Something had been slightly   
  
nagging Carlin for sometime and now seemed the perfect time to get   
  
it off her chest. She couldn't tell Serena about her vision, but   
  
she could voice the feelings rolling around in her brain. She   
  
cleared her throat and looked Serena straight in the eyes; "Do you   
  
still love Darien?"  
  
Serena was taken aback. Trying to worm her way out of it, she   
  
said, "I loved his body..."  
  
"Bullshit." Carlin looked at Serena's abdomen and back at her   
  
eyes, "Don't try to dodge my questions. Do you still love Darien?"  
  
Serena felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. No   
  
matter what she told Carlin, she knew the answer anyway. Looking at   
  
Carlin with wet eyes she said softly, "I love him so much it hurts."  
  
Carlin wrapped her arms around Serena and let her cry it out.   
  
She knew Serena had to see Darien, but things had to happen in a   
  
certain order. If Darien had found them at Nerys' this morning, he   
  
would have been pissed. Or not. It was too late to find out now.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts."  
  
Everything was a blur after that. The plane landed and the   
  
girls found their luggage okay enough. Serena kept standing on her   
  
tiptoes to see if Galen had arrived yet. Carlin tugged at her and   
  
asked, "Who are you looking for?"  
  
"Our ride," Serena replied, resuming her position on her   
  
tiptoes. A few minutes later she tugged Carlin's arm. "He's over   
  
there by the door."  
  
Carlin clambered on top of a chair to look. "Where, I don't   
  
see anyone for us."  
  
Serena pulled her down and motioned her to follow, "Trust me,   
  
he's here. C'mon."  
  
Carlin followed Serena through the mass of bodies and stopped   
  
short when she saw whom Serena was referring to. Turning to Serena   
  
she said, "You've got to be kidding me."  
  
Winking at her, Serena said, "Hell no. Besides, you kids have   
  
some talking to do." She turned toward the door and walked out,   
  
leaving Carlin and Galen in her wake.  
  
Galen turned toward Carlin and took her arm. He lowered   
  
himself to her ear and said suggestively, "We should do our   
  
'talking' in private. I don't like an audience." He placed a kiss   
  
on her temple and said, "Let's go. On the way home, we can discuss   
  
baby names."  
  
Serena softly sighed as she opened the door to Galen's car.   
  
At least Carlin would have a happy ending; Serena would only have   
  
her babies to comfort her.  
  
***  
  
Darien knocked on Nerys' door, making sure that the whole   
  
neighborhood would hear him, if she didn't. Both Darien and Chad   
  
had been on the first flight to Tampa Bay to make sure they were   
  
able to catch one of Serena's sisters totally unaware. He had been   
  
so excited this morning, he left Chad at the hotel.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Darien looked up and was slightly surprised that this woman   
  
was related to Serena. If it weren't for the eyes, he never would   
  
have been able to place the two. "Miss Tsukino? I'm Darien Mills.   
  
I'd like to talk to you about your sister."  
  
The woman's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she stepped aside   
  
to let him inside. She motioned him to sit down and asked, "This is   
  
about Serena and that guy that got her pregnant, isn't it?"  
  
Darien bit his tongue to keep from saying what he didn't want   
  
said. Nodding his head, he said, "I'm trying to find her. Can you   
  
help me?"  
  
Nerys shook her head. It wasn't her place to tell the man   
  
where Serena was. "You missed her about four hours ago. She needed   
  
to go home and prepare..." She stopped herself. She didn't want to   
  
spill the beans about Serena being pregnant.  
  
"Nerys?"  
  
Nerys looked into the young man's eyes and was horrified to   
  
see pain and shock harbored there. "Mr. Mills, I'm not at liberty   
  
to discuss Serena's whereabouts. However, I can extend an   
  
invitation to you, via my sister Samantha, to a ball in December.   
  
Serena will be there."  
  
'You'll see her again in December and you'll finally track her   
  
down in June.' Carlin's prediction circled the edge of Darien's   
  
mind. If she hadn't told him, he never would have gone.  
  
"One condition, Mr. Mills," Nerys said with a growl low in her   
  
throat.  
  
He looked back at her. "Anything, if I get to see Serena   
  
again."  
  
"If I hear through my channels that you are still looking for   
  
Serena, and endanger her at a time like this, I'll convince her not   
  
to go." Nerys glared at him. If he really loved her sister, he'd   
  
do as she asked and not give her any lip. "Do we have a deal?"  
  
Darien looked at her and smiled. The one thing Arden Blade   
  
did right was give these girls each other. "Only if you'll keep me   
  
posted on her condition."  
  
A slow smile crept over Nerys' face. Whatever this man did,   
  
he truly loved Serena. "Alright." She stood up and led him toward   
  
the door. Watching him leave, she called out, "Mr. Mills?" When he   
  
turned around, she smiled and said, "Darien Chaucy has a much nicer   
  
ring to it, don't you think?" She watched as the astonishment   
  
spread over his face, and walked back inside, leaving Darien to   
  
wonder how she knew.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Most of the chapters after this one won't as extensively edited   
  
because I started to do that when I was writing them.  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	12. Chapter Eleven

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Eleven - Happy Birthday  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Serena looked up from the book she was reading to see Nerys,   
  
Kieta, and Samantha pull into Carlin's driveway. Something big had   
  
to be going down, especially if Sam was involved. The trio stepped   
  
out of the car and headed toward Serena. She set the book down and   
  
asked, "What's going on?"  
  
Samantha turned toward her and said, "Carlin's not telling all   
  
of us something." She squinted her eyes and looked in a window, "It   
  
has to do with Raye."  
  
Serena stood up and tapped her foot. "Well, if it has to do   
  
with Raye, you have to ask me first. She's my guest," Serena said   
  
pointedly, "not Car's."  
  
Samantha stretched to her full height and stood beneath   
  
Serena's nose. If Sam didn't look so serious, Serena would have   
  
laughed at the sight of the smaller woman straining over her   
  
stomach. Standing there, she bit back her laughter and waited until   
  
Sam said, "Alright, someone's been sending Darien pictures."  
  
Serena narrowed her eyes, "You know this, how?"  
  
Sam wrapped some hair around the end of her finger and said,   
  
"Mika hacked into his e-mail account and looked."  
  
Serena whipped around and disappeared into the house. She   
  
returned moments later with Carlin and Raye in tow. "Tell them what   
  
you just told me," Serena barked at Sam.  
  
Sam put her hands on her hips, and said, "Some one sent that   
  
Chaucy fellow pictures of Serena. Who did it?"  
  
Carlin rubbed her swollen abdomen and said, "What's it to you?   
  
You have nothing to worry about. Serena and Raye do."  
  
Raye put a hand on Carlin's shoulder. She cleared her throat   
  
and said, "I did." Lifting her chin up and glancing down at Sam,   
  
she added, "Darien figured she was pregnant already and the   
  
detective is psychic. I merely reassured Darien that we were both   
  
alright."  
  
Nerys stepped forward, "He knows now." She turned to Serena   
  
and said in a gentle voice, "He'll leave you alone for awhile. Just   
  
send him pictures."  
  
Serena turned and glared at the group. Kieta and Sam looked   
  
grim, while Nerys, Carlin, and Raye were being encouraging. She   
  
looked down at her stomach and thought about what she would be   
  
giving her twins. 'A chance to know their father someday.' Looking   
  
at her sisters and Raye, Serena let a tear slide down her cheek.   
  
For the babies' sakes... "Where's a camera?"  
  
***  
  
Two hours later, Darien received a picture that was taken that   
  
afternoon. He looked at the e-mail address and realized that it   
  
wasn't Raye's. He opened the letter again and scrolled down to the   
  
bottom. There was a letter from Serena. Taking a deep breath, he   
  
read it.  
  
Darien,  
  
I'm writing this to let you know that I'm all right. As   
  
soon as the babies are born, I'll send you pictures. I can't let   
  
you know where I am, but right now, it's for the best.  
  
If you ever need anything, or just want to talk, e-mail   
  
me back. One day I'd like you and your children to meet...  
  
Bye for now,  
  
Serena  
  
Darien slumped in his chair and stared at the computer screen.   
  
She had the audacity to finally contact him after seven months...   
  
He pulled himself up and reached for the telephone; he would get to   
  
the bottom of this...  
  
***  
  
Serena sighed as she saw another email from Darien. She had   
  
been keeping him up-to-date with pictures of her and Raye, as well   
  
as photos from her sonograms. With all she had sent, she thought   
  
he'd be placated--oh no, not Darien Chaucy--he had changed his name   
  
back after a visit with Nerys. He wanted to see her in person and   
  
made all sorts of demands, but he was there when she was having a   
  
bad day...  
  
Shaking her head to snap herself out of her musings, she   
  
opened the mail and scanned it. She slightly chuckled to herself at   
  
the picture he had sent her. It was a picture of Darien holding a   
  
baby Raye as a child; below was a caption saying, "I already know   
  
how to hold babies, see?"  
  
Serena checked to see if he was online and laughed aloud when   
  
he was. Clicking on his screen name, she said, "You're going to   
  
have to settle for holding a picture."  
  
He wrote back, "That's what you think. I'm going to find   
  
you."  
  
"Sure, sure. That's what you say every time."  
  
"The only reason I haven't come and picked your ass up is my   
  
respect for your sisters."  
  
Before she could ask which ones, he signed off. Staring at   
  
the computer, she turned around to see Carlin and Galen cuddling on   
  
the couch. A month had gone by since Galen had picked her and   
  
Carlin up from the airport and they had gotten closer. The Blade   
  
sisters had an ass-backward way of doing things. "Carlin, can I use   
  
your heating pad? My back's killing me."  
  
Carlin looked up and smiled, "Sure. Make sure you give it   
  
back though, Genevieve has been really active lately."  
  
Galen planted a kiss on Carlin's forehead, "I thought we   
  
agreed to name her Leala after my mom."  
  
Carlin snorted, "That's what you thought."  
  
Serena cleared her throat, "Car?"  
  
Glaring at Galen, she turned toward Serena and said, "In my   
  
closet." Turning back to Galen, she said, "I'm not finished with   
  
you yet."  
  
Trudging up the stairs, Serena heard Galen say, "Good, because   
  
I've got a deal for you..." She chuckled and knew who was going to   
  
win. Carlin couldn't resist that man of hers. When she got to the   
  
top, Serena called down, "Keep it clean, kids. I don't want to go   
  
into early labor seeing you two."  
  
She heard Carlin laugh out loud and Galen say, "Don't worry,   
  
you'll hear us first. Carlin's a...oof!" Serena imagined the   
  
indignant look on Carlin's face and grabbed the heating pad.   
  
Plugging into the wall and climbing into bed, Serena thought of   
  
Darien as she fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
On the other side of the country, Chad sat in a chair, staring   
  
at a picture of Raye. He searched his mind for their doorway and   
  
opened it. 'Why can't you come home?'  
  
A minute later, he felt Raye's voice fill his mind. 'I'll be   
  
home soon. I have to stay for the babies.'  
  
Chad's face contorted into a grimace. 'You'll stay away from   
  
me and your home to stay with Serena. Even after what you saw?'  
  
He could feel her getting angry and recoiled a bit when she   
  
yelled back, 'The only reason I saw that was because I was searching   
  
for answers I shouldn't have been looking for. Besides, I would do   
  
the same thing for you.'  
  
'You're so full of...'  
  
'Shut up and say you love me already.' A moment later, she   
  
said very softly, 'I don't want to be here any more than you want me   
  
to be, but that's beside the point. As soon as I get back, we're   
  
disappearing for a long while. Promise.'  
  
'I'll hold you to it.'  
  
'I wouldn't expect anything less. Goodnight, love.'  
  
He felt her close their 'door' and he himself lay down for the   
  
night. He and Raye would have to wait, but not for too much longer.  
  
***  
  
Another month went by, along with Carlin's due date. As each   
  
week went by, Serena and Carlin became more and more miserable; that   
  
is until Carlin's water broke.  
  
***  
  
June 29th  
  
7:26 AM  
  
"Serena, I think I need to go to the hospital," Carlin said as   
  
she looked down at the floor, a puddle beneath her feet. She gave a   
  
small prayer of thanks and waddled out of the kitchen to see Serena   
  
scurrying around. She smiled and said, "Call Galen. He knows where   
  
everything is."  
  
Serena turned to Carlin and looked at her with pain in her   
  
eyes. She turned away from her, and said, "He doesn't know where my   
  
things are." She calmly walked over to the living room door and   
  
showed Carlin her puddle. "They wanted to come out and play."Carlin shook her head and gave a small cry when a contraction   
  
hit. Panting, she said, "I'll call Galen."  
  
'Hurry, Car,' Serena thought as she breathed through a   
  
contraction. She had been in labor since late last night, but   
  
didn't feel like she needed to hurry. Another contraction hit and   
  
she choked back a scream of pain. 'I'm going to kill him.'  
  
She heard someone open the door and she gave a sigh of relief   
  
when she saw Raye standing there. "Please get my things. Galen's   
  
on his way to take us to the hospital."  
  
Raye gave a little sigh of relief. She had been hoping, for   
  
both of the girls sake's, that they would go into labor soon.   
  
Carlin was two weeks over due and Serena wasn't due until the middle   
  
of July. Raye went up to Serena's room and grabbed the suitcase   
  
'full of goodies': receiving blankets, an extra change of clothes, a   
  
breast pump, diapers, and a few other miscellaneous items. "Raye,   
  
hurry up. Galen's pulling in the drive," she heard Serena shout up   
  
the stairs. Hauling the suitcase down the stairs, she held the door   
  
open for Carlin--who was being led out by Galen--and Serena before   
  
she went out herself. She hoped for both of their sakes that it   
  
wouldn't be a long labor.  
  
***  
  
June 29th  
  
5:40 PM  
  
Serena slowly panted her way through another contraction and   
  
looked at the doctor. "Alright, Doc. What's the news?"  
  
The doctor smiled and said, "Your delivery is progressing   
  
smoothly. You are 6 centimeters dilated and 60 percent effaced. At   
  
the rate you're going, the twins should be here a little before   
  
midnight."  
  
"What about Carlin?" Twenty minutes ago, her sister and Galen   
  
had disappeared into the delivery room. Carlin had looked somewhat   
  
serene--after the medication they had given her had taken affect--  
  
Galen had looked determined and scared. 'No one had better mess   
  
with my niece. Her daddy will clean their clocks.'  
  
"Carlin is going through post delivery surgery and Galen is   
  
coming with the baby."  
  
A soft knock rapped on the door before Galen came in carrying   
  
a small bundle. Opening the blanket, he said, "Carlin and I came to   
  
a compromise. Serena, meet your niece Leala Genevieve McHail."  
  
The baby was softly sucking on her thumb, something she had   
  
done many times in the womb. Serena softly gasped when she saw the   
  
look of total devotion on Galen's face toward his daughter. 'Darien   
  
will have to know, soon,' Serena thought as another contraction hit   
  
her.  
  
***  
  
June 30th  
  
12:01 AM  
  
"Alright Serena, push!"  
  
Serena bore down and pushed the first baby out of her. She   
  
felt the slight pressure as the doctor situated the baby's shoulder   
  
so it would slide out easier. 'Think happy thoughts,' she coached   
  
herself as she felt the baby slide from her.  
  
"Okay, we have the boy out. Give us a couple of good pushes   
  
and your daughter should be out shortly."  
  
Serena let a cry rip from her body as she bore down and pushed   
  
as hard as she could. She heard the doctor say something about the   
  
baby crowning, but she didn't care. She wanted to hold her babies.   
  
She felt the second baby slide from her and she laid back, content   
  
with her accomplishment.  
  
The nurses brought the babies over and got them to nurse.   
  
Raye leaned over and asked, "What did you decide to name them?"  
  
Serena gave a weak smile and said, "Meet Doran Reece and   
  
Renata Dionne Chaucy."  
  
***  
  
When Serena woke up, Carlin was back in the room, this time   
  
feeding Leala. 'My little squirt is a mommy,' Serena thought as a   
  
tear streaked down her face. She took in the sight of the little   
  
redhead feeding her daughter and sighed.  
  
Carlin looked up and saw Serena looking at her. She softly   
  
smiled and said, "Happy birthday, Rene." She looked down at her   
  
daughter and smoothed back her mop of red hair. Goodbye sleep.   
  
Shifting Leala, she turned to Serena and said, "What'd you name the   
  
twins?"  
  
Serena smiled and said, "My son's name is Doran Reece Chaucy   
  
and my daughter's name is Renata Dionne Chaucy." She gave a slight   
  
chuckle and said, "Dory and Rene for short."  
  
Carlin scrunched up her nose and said, "You named your   
  
daughter Renata? Talk about old."  
  
Before Serena could defend her choice, a nurse pushed in two   
  
bassinets, each one containing a baby. "Miss Blade? It's time to   
  
feed them."  
  
Serena sighed and looked down at her children. Doran had   
  
Darien's dark hair and her blue eyes. If luck was on her side, he'd   
  
be tall like his daddy too. Renata was blessed with her blonde   
  
curls and her daddy's midnight blue eyes. She'd have to beat boys   
  
off with a stick when Rene got older. She maneuvered the babies so   
  
they could both feed at the same time. She looked up from the   
  
babies and said, "Is the au pair we hired going to be there when we   
  
get home?"  
  
Carlin looked up with a not-so-happy look on her face. "For   
  
you maybe. Galen's insisted on staying home--with us--and helping   
  
with Leala. He's even been gracious enough to stay up the first few   
  
nights with her."  
  
Serena chuckled, "He wants to get back with you." Carlin   
  
snorted right before Serena broke out in full-tilt laughter.  
  
***  
  
Raye flipped out her cell phone and called the all-too-  
  
familiar number of her brother's house back in California. A   
  
slightly distracted voice answered. Raye held back a sigh and   
  
asked, "May I speak to Darien please? It's very important." The   
  
voice said something and put her on hold. Raye sat, drumming her   
  
fingers on the armrest of the chair she was sitting at. Five   
  
minutes later her brother's voice said, "Hello?" Raye stilled   
  
before clearing her throat. "Darien, it's Raye. The twins were   
  
born this morning."  
  
In California, Darien sat up a little straighter in his chair.   
  
He nervously licked his lips and asked, "How did it go? What did   
  
she name them?"  
  
Raye gave a slight chuckle, "The delivery went pretty   
  
smoothly. She was in labor for about 24 hours and in active labor   
  
for about 6 hours. She had a boy and a girl. She named them Doran   
  
Reece and Renata Dionne Chaucy."  
  
"Doran and Renata? It's different, but interesting," he said   
  
as he swiveled in his chair. He grabbed a cup of coffee and   
  
motioned Chad to come in the door. "When are you going to come   
  
home?"  
  
Raye smiled and gave a slight sigh. Her brother could be so   
  
impatient sometimes. "I'll be home by your birthday and I'll have a   
  
surprise for you," she said, thinking of how she was going to break   
  
the news about Chad.  
  
"Okay, as long as it won't kill me."  
  
"Alright. I'll let you go. I have to go check on Serena and   
  
the twins." Raye heard his good byes and snapped her cell phone   
  
shut. Walking down the hallway, she softly knocked on Serena's room   
  
door. Hearing a greeting, she entered as Carlin started cursing   
  
Serena with very...colorful language.  
  
Serena turned to Raye and said, "It's a good thing you're not   
  
Galen. Car would've jumped out of her bed and killed me." She   
  
picked Rene up and handed her off to Raye. "You need practice,   
  
Auntie Raye," Serena said with a smirk.  
  
Raye cradled the baby in her arms and felt the tears form in   
  
her eyes. Who would know that something so precious could be born   
  
from anything but love?  
  
***  
  
In California, Darien broke out a brandy decanter and added a   
  
small dollop to his coffee. He turned to Chad and broke out into a   
  
smile. "I'm a dad."  
  
Chad returned the smile and smacked Darien on the back. He   
  
deserved some sort of happiness after the hell he had been going   
  
through. Taking a dollop of brandy in his own coffee, he asked,   
  
"What did she name them?"  
  
Darien broke out a list of names Serena had given him a few   
  
nights ago. Sure enough, Doran and Renata were two that he had   
  
circled himself. Turning back to Chad, he answered, "She named them   
  
Doran Reece and Renata Dionne Chaucy."  
  
"Interesting choices, but unique," Chad said taking a swallow   
  
of his coffee. He smiled into his coffee cup and gave a slight   
  
chuckle.  
  
Darien turned toward him. "What's so funny?"  
  
Chad turned to him, gave a small chuckle, and asked, "Where's   
  
the one place we didn't look?"  
  
Darien paused for a moment. They had looked everywhere for   
  
Serena since the moment she had walked out of the door. Everywhere   
  
except... "Holy shit."  
  
Chad raised his cup in mock salute and said, "I second that   
  
notion." He put a hand on Darien's shoulder and said, "It seems   
  
that Carlin's prediction was double-edged. You will finally track   
  
her down in June and you will see her in December. The question is,   
  
what are you going to do now?"  
  
"Nothing." Darien turned toward a window and stared at the   
  
falling rain. Taking a sip of his coffee, he added, "Nothing until   
  
December that is." He stalked to his desk and said, "I need to run   
  
a few suggestions by Samantha. Then Serena will be mine."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
This chapter was kept the mostly the same because I liked how it was   
  
written the first time.  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	13. Chapter Twelve

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Twelve - Caught  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Almost 6 months later  
  
December 5th  
  
***  
  
Serena fingered the fine gauze of the costume Sam had insisted   
  
she wear. She didn't really want to do this, but she had promised   
  
Sam before she had the babies that she would come. Serena looked at   
  
Carlin and smiled. Carlin wanted to be here as much as Serena did.   
  
Both women would have rather stay in Michigan with their babies.   
  
Serena wanted to just watch them sleep, now that they didn't wake up   
  
once at night. A tear glistened in her eye and she stubbornly held   
  
it in. She didn't want to cry before Sam's shindig, or she'd get   
  
her ass reamed when she got there.  
  
Serena looked back at Carlin. Carlin was dressed up as an   
  
ancient woman Celt warrior and looked more comfortable than Serena   
  
did now. Carlin turned toward her and asked, "Who are you supposed   
  
to be?"  
  
Serena lowered her head and mumbled, "I'm supposed to be the   
  
Moon goddess Selene." She looked up to see Carlin holding back a   
  
giggle. "That wasn't supposed to be funny, damn it."  
  
Carlin could only shake her head and say, "I wonder who your   
  
Endymion is." Carlin burst out into a laughing fit picturing   
  
Serena's prospects.  
  
Serena sat back and shook her head. It was going to be a long   
  
night.  
  
***  
  
Twenty miles away, Darien was adding the final touches to his   
  
costume. Glancing in the mirror, he pulled a strip of cloth over   
  
his mouth, and took a final look. He turned to Raye and Chad--who   
  
were sitting across the room--and asked, "How do I look?"  
  
Chad smiled and said, "You look like an Arabian shepherd."  
  
Darien smiled. When Raye came home a few months ago, he   
  
didn't expect to see the intimacy between her and Chad or the   
  
blatant desire either. The fact that Chad was a prospective   
  
brother-in-law didn't faze him in the least. In fact, he welcomed   
  
the fact that he knew Chad would keep Raye happy until the end of   
  
her days. "I guess that's better that a man who's desperate to find   
  
the mother of his children?"  
  
Raye yawned and said, "Oh that? That's nothing new."  
  
Darien blinked and shook his head. He wondered which one of   
  
Serena's sisters had made her so cynical. Or more vulnerable.  
  
Chad checked his watch and said, "You better get going. It's   
  
almost eight."  
  
Darien swore under his breath and made a beeline for the door.   
  
Picking up a shepherd's crook, he shouted back at them, "Don't wait   
  
up for me."  
  
As soon as Raye heard the door slam, she turned back to Chad   
  
and said, "Don't worry, we won't."  
  
Chad grabbed her and pulled her upstairs. "We don't want him   
  
to worry, do we?"  
  
***  
  
Serena opened the door of the limousine and stepped out,   
  
Carlin trailing behind her. She didn't know where Sam had gotten   
  
this cockamamie idea, but she didn't like it one bit. She fingered   
  
her dress. It was white silk with a gauzy silver overlay and two   
  
major dips--one that went to the bottom of her back and one that   
  
dipped to show off a vast amount of cleavage. Serena hadn't been   
  
blessed with too modest a bosom, but now she felt like she had too   
  
much--and a majority was falling out of her dress.  
  
Carlin nudged her and tugged her toward the door of Sam's   
  
mansion; the one Serena grew up in. They were greeted by Sam's   
  
housekeeper and then by Sam herself. The small woman ushered Serena   
  
and Carlin inside before saying in a hushed whisper, "It's about   
  
damn time you got here."  
  
Carlin rolled her eyes and grabbed a mask. Tying it around   
  
her face, she said, "It's not our fault the driver you hired is   
  
slower than molasses. Besides, we had to pump before we left."  
  
It was Sam's turn to roll her eyes. "I don't really care what   
  
you did. At least you're on time and your partners are here."  
  
Serena and Carlin held in their groans as they followed Sam   
  
into the ballroom. Whatever else could be said of Sam, she knew how   
  
to throw a party. The room was decorated with a few touches here   
  
and there, but the rest was left the same as Serena had remembered   
  
it. Shaking her head of memories, she stopped quickly, almost   
  
running into Sam. "Here are your partners, girls," Sam said,   
  
gesturing to the men in front of them.  
  
Serena studied her partner and was impressed. He really did   
  
look like Endymion should have. Slightly tanned--she caught a   
  
glimpse of black hair under the headdress--he looked as if he had   
  
spent his life in the sun. He seemed to lean heavily against his   
  
crook, must have been a glimpse of her that floored him.  
  
'Endymion' gulped and asked, "Would you like to sit down and   
  
tell me a bit about yourself?"  
  
Serena gave a soft gasp and nodded her head. His voice was   
  
slightly raspy and reminded her of both her mystery man and Darien.   
  
She suppressed a shiver of delight and sat down in a chair next to   
  
him. She blushed a little when he grabbed her hand, but played it   
  
off as if she were overheated. 'I don't need him to think he got to   
  
me.'  
  
A smile played on his lips and he kissed her softly on the   
  
hand. Letting the smile play in his eyes, he chuckled, "You can't   
  
get away that easily. Tell me about yourself."  
  
Serena sighed and looked back at him. He was going to be   
  
difficult. She delicately pulled her hand from his and looked at   
  
him pointedly. She tried to keep the barbs out of her voice as she   
  
said, "I'm the single mother of a set of twins and I would rather   
  
much be back with them than here."  
  
He threw his head back and roared with laughter. Serena   
  
jumped a bit, but she managed to keep her composure. Once he calmed   
  
down, he said, "I'd much rather be looking for a missing friend of   
  
mine--who I heard, would be here--but you're entertaining. I   
  
believe I'm torn." He got that out before he started laughing   
  
again. He suddenly stopped and cocked his head to the side.   
  
Looking at her slyly, he asked, "Would you like to dance?" Seeing   
  
her start to protest, he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the   
  
dance floor.  
  
Something in you  
  
Brought out something in me  
  
That I've never been since  
  
That part of me that was only for you  
  
That kind of romance  
  
Comes only once  
  
That kind of love  
  
That kind of fever dance  
  
That you love because   
  
You've become someone else  
  
In an instant  
  
Serena was slightly surprised to hear him softly hum to the   
  
music. She craned her face up at him as he swung her around the   
  
dance floor and found he was looking at her. "Who does this song   
  
remind you of?"  
  
His eyes twinkled sensuously as he looked at her. He paused a   
  
moment before he said, "A young woman who was sixteen eleven summers   
  
ago. Her and I had a delightful encounter one night in the study of   
  
my mother's house. Would you know her?"  
  
Serena drew in a breath as she stared up at him. He couldn't   
  
be...could he?  
  
He took her in another circle and began to sing in unison with   
  
the recording.  
  
Say you will  
  
Say you will  
  
Give me one more chance  
  
At least give me time to change your mind  
  
That always seems to heal the wounds  
  
If I can, get you to dance  
  
Serena shook her head as tears flowed from beneath her mask.   
  
She fought to pull away from him, but he simply pulled her in closer   
  
and said, "Even if you manage to run away this time, I know where   
  
you are." He pulled her off the floor and pulled her into one of   
  
the bedrooms.  
  
Sam and Carlin stood off to the side and watched the   
  
spectacle. Sam watched and said, "He's not going to leave until   
  
they come to some sort of compromise." Carlin nodded, and then   
  
said, "He won't leave until they've been compromised." The pair   
  
nodded sagely and went back to supervising the festivities.  
  
In the bedroom, Serena threw herself onto the bed and watched   
  
him as he stripped off his headdress. Darien glared back at her and   
  
said, "You didn't think I'd see you until it was on your terms."  
  
Serena turned away from him and started to dry her tears. If   
  
she was going to face him, she'd do it with dignity. She stopped in   
  
the process as Darien came and stood behind her, softly kissing her   
  
hair. She pulled away and jumped of the bed, tripping on her dress   
  
as she fumbled to move forward. She turned back to him and said,   
  
"Don't be gentle with me. Scream at me, or rant and rail, I don't   
  
care."  
  
Darien walked over to her, carefully keeping an even stride,   
  
and pulled her into his arms. There were things that definitely   
  
needed to be worked out, but he'd be damned if they left the room   
  
before fixing a lot of them. He carried her over to the bed and   
  
pulled her on his lap as he sat down. "Now, we're going to sit here   
  
like rational adults and discuss this calmly; one question at a   
  
time."  
  
"Fine. Why were you kissing on that woman when we had just   
  
left your bed not even half an hour before?" Serena winced at her   
  
tone, but what needed to be done had to be done.  
  
"Easy, she kissed me. Beryl Harpís was an important, and   
  
overzealous, client of mine that I used to date and had a hard time   
  
of accepting that fact. If you had remained a little bit longer   
  
that morning, you would have heard me chastise her and then heard   
  
her storm out." Darien nuzzled her neck and said, "We could have   
  
worked out the baby problem together. By then it would have been a   
  
perk."  
  
Serena slid off his lap and stood in front of him. He had no   
  
idea what kind of pull he had on her. "Darien," she started   
  
hesitantly, "I don't know if this can work between us. Ever." She   
  
held up her hand when he started to stand. She had to get this out   
  
before she did something totally stupid. "The sex was great, and I   
  
wouldn't give Rene and Dory up for the world, but we haven't tried   
  
to have anything past that. I...I don't know if I can face that."  
  
Darien rose and gathered her in his arms. He felt so much for   
  
her...and she didn't realize it. Kissing her, he said, "Well, we   
  
can try. I'll come and see the three of you in a week." Lifting   
  
her chin up so she could see his eyes, he said in all seriousness,   
  
"Don't try to run. Your sisters would let me know where you are."  
  
She whispered, "Traitors," as she leaned up to kiss him.  
  
Darien growled low in his throat and kissed her with over a   
  
year of pent-up passion. He kissed her and felt her kiss him back   
  
until they were both glazed over with desire. He separated from her   
  
for a moment and asked, "Are you sure?"  
  
She giggled and answered, "Only if you're prepared."  
  
Darien pulled out a little packet from his pocket and set it   
  
on the nightstand next to the bed.  
  
***  
  
They loved the night away and Darien couldn't remember feeling   
  
so at peace. He and Serena had talked about everything under the   
  
sun. He heard everything he ever wanted to know about his children   
  
and he even heard about her fears for the future.  
  
When he finally felt her fall into a deep sleep, he whispered,   
  
"I love you, Serena. I have since I saw you in my mother's study."   
  
Yawning, he stretched beside her and fell asleep.  
  
As soon as he fell asleep, Serena opened her eyes and slowly   
  
began to cry. She pulled away from him, pulled on a robe, and sat   
  
in a corner. She didn't know how long she had waited to hear that.   
  
She couldn't handle it. She finally drifted off, sometimes still   
  
crying in her sleep.  
  
***  
  
When Darien woke up the next morning, he was surprised to find   
  
Serena up and already dressed. 'Well, there goes that plan,' he   
  
thought. Sitting up, pulled her over and slowly kissed her.   
  
Pulling away--and seeing a smile on her face--he asked, "When are   
  
you and Carlin going home?"  
  
Knowing the cat was out of the bag, Serena smiled and kissed   
  
him lazily. Pausing, she said against his mouth, "Thirty minutes."   
  
She pulled away and laughed as she sashayed out of the room.   
  
Standing behind the door, she softly chuckled at his uttered oaths   
  
until someone caught her from behind. She tried to turn around, but   
  
her captor clenched her so she was immobile. He whispered, "You're   
  
mine," before he gagged her with a cloth covered in chloroform. He   
  
chuckled as she fell limp in his arms; she had been too easy to   
  
catch.  
  
A few moments later, Darien emerged from the room and began   
  
looking for Serena or Carlin. When he ran into Carlin ten minutes   
  
later, he asked, "Where's Serena?"  
  
Carlin looked at her blankly and asked, "She's not with you?"   
  
She collapsed on the floor and began heaving great big sobs of   
  
grief. "I couldn't stop it," she choked out between sobs.  
  
Darien dropped beside her and cradled her in his arms.   
  
"Couldn't stop what?"  
  
"Serena, she's been...she's been," Carlin broke down, unable   
  
to get the words out.  
  
"Kidnapped," Sam said from the doorway of the room. She   
  
dropped down beside Darien and explained, "Carlin, Raye, and I have   
  
been having visions for months. She's been kidnapped. He's going   
  
to try to force himself on her, but she...relies on something she   
  
didn't know she had. The rest we don't know." She smiled as soft a   
  
smile as she could muster and said, "What we do know is that you'll   
  
save her."  
  
Darien lifted the crying Carlin in his arms and said, "Let's   
  
get started."  
  
***  
  
When Serena woke up, she was surprised to find herself tied to   
  
a chair. Well, maybe not that surprised.  
  
"You mother fucker! You better pray to whatever merciful god   
  
you believe in, I don't get loose from this chair!" Serena kept   
  
screaming until she felt hoarse. To make matters worse, her breasts   
  
were getting swollen and were starting to leak. She rocked back and   
  
forth in her chair, feeling it start to give under her weight.   
  
'That bastard is going to be really sorry for making me resort to   
  
getting out of this chair,' Serena thought as she worked more. When   
  
she was almost free, a pair of hands undid her ropes and threw her   
  
on the bed, retying them the moment she hit.  
  
A slightly menacing voice said, "It seems the only way to get   
  
you to shut you up is to put you on a bed. Why am I not surprised?"  
  
Serena knew the voice. She had heard him in her nightmares;   
  
she had heard him in ancient fantasies. She had heard him as he   
  
robbed her of her innocence as a teen. She spat at him and said,   
  
"Someone would disagree with you."  
  
He put his face in the light and smiled menacingly at her.   
  
"Keep your mouth shut, Peach. If you don't I'll put it to good   
  
use."  
  
Remembering the last time he had said something like that to   
  
her, Serena stared at Diamond and fainted away.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
This chapter was kept the mostly the same because I liked how it was   
  
written the first time.  
  
Oh, and the lyrics are from Fleetwood Mac's "Say You Will"  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel @ AI and ASMR  
  
Carley MoonAngel @ FF.Net  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AN: This is the second, EDITED, version of Shady Business. I'm   
  
still going to be writing the first version we all know and love   
  
(well, at least I do) and taking suggestions to revise it and create   
  
this one!  
  
Also, some new elements are going to be introduced, but it will only   
  
prove to enhance it (I hope).  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Thirteen - Finally Home  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Serena woke up a few hours later, Diamond still smiling smugly   
  
at her and sitting in the chair, she was tied to earlier. She   
  
smiled at him and politely asked, "Will you let me go to the   
  
bathroom?"  
  
He smiled at her and said, "I may just make you hold it."  
  
She glared at him, then asked, "Could you get me a breast pump   
  
then? I'm nursing two babies and my breasts are hurting like hell."   
  
Satisfied to see him visibly gulp, she laid her head back and   
  
started to think of a way to get the hell out of there. She looked   
  
toward a window high in the wall and thought, 'Come and save me,   
  
Darien.'  
  
Diamond watched her as she plotted and planned. She had grown   
  
after she had left him, in many ways. He had watched her from afar   
  
and had to hold himself back from going to her several times. He   
  
smiled inside, thought of one of the ways she had grown, and it   
  
pleased him. He looked down and smiled; she pleased him very much.  
  
***  
  
"Raye, can you sense her at all," Darien asked, holding his   
  
son in the crook of his arms. Carlin had called Galen up and had   
  
him fly in with the twins and Leala. Darien was in awe at the sight   
  
of his children, the children he and Serena had created together.   
  
Darien nuzzled Doran's hair and sighed. He grabbed a bottle and   
  
placed it in his son's mouth as he waited for Raye's answer.  
  
Raye shook her head as gently as she could without waking up   
  
Renata--who was nestled in her arms--and looked at Darien. "She's   
  
just out of reach. You should ask Carlin where she is. She saw the   
  
most detail out of all of us."  
  
Darien reached out and took Carlin's hand. The poor girl had   
  
been in shock since Serena had disappeared, but she seemed to be   
  
coming out of it, now that Galen and Leala were here. She said,   
  
barely above a whisper, "She's in a basement of a house somewhere   
  
nearby. He couldn't have gone too far." She turned to look back at   
  
Doran and said, "Oh my."  
  
Darien looked down and saw Doran's bottle floating in the air.   
  
'He's telekinetic...' He looked at Sam and Carlin and asked,   
  
"Serena's telekinetic, isn't she?"  
  
Carlin nodded her head and said, "Only slightly. Her mother   
  
scared her out of most of it when she was six. It only shows up   
  
when she needs it now."  
  
"Scared her out of it? What did she do to Serena," Darien   
  
asked watching Doran hold his bottle.  
  
Carlin shifted Leala and said, "I heard this from Mike and   
  
Nerys so it may be slightly skewed from the actual events." Seeing   
  
Darien understand, she continued, "Her mother saw her playing catch   
  
with Mike and Nerys, but Serena wasn't using her hands. Her mom   
  
flipped and threw her into a closet, saying, 'You can't come out   
  
until you have learned to be a normal girl.' Since then, Serena has   
  
'lost' her abilities."  
  
Darien's gaze flickered between his children. He thought   
  
aloud, "I wonder what abilities they have?"  
  
Sam smiled, "Well, we all know Dory's. Rene probably is   
  
precognitive. Carlin and I are precognitive, Serena's a   
  
telekinetic, Kieta's an empath, and Nerys is a closet medium. The   
  
abilities run through the women, so it's a surprise that Dory has   
  
anything."  
  
"We're losing track here," Galen spoke up, "Serena's still in   
  
a boatload of trouble. Everyone, concentrate. I might be able to   
  
find her."  
  
Everyone concentrated and Raye and Galen exclaimed, "Found   
  
her!"  
  
***  
  
Serena watched as Diamond advanced upon her. He had been   
  
watching her for nearly an hour now. Every now and then, he would   
  
pull out a knife and play with it, running his finger up and down   
  
the blade. 'Concentrate on the knife. It's your only hope,' Serena   
  
thought as she turned her gaze to the pocket he had put it in. She   
  
could feel a small place in the back of her mind begin to open and   
  
she knew what to do.  
  
"Serena, you're going to enjoy yourself tonight," Diamond   
  
tried to say as gently as he could. He didn't want to be forced to   
  
hurt her. If she moved, however, he had a nice little knife to   
  
remedy that.  
  
'Look at me,' Serena thought, 'tied up at the mercy of a   
  
madman. It's about time I did something about it.' Serena waited   
  
with a baited breath for Diamond to show the knife again. When he   
  
did, she would make her move then.  
  
***  
  
Darien looked up at the moonless sky, clenching a lock picking   
  
kit in his hand. He didn't ask Galen--when he was shown an hour   
  
ago--how he knew how to pick locks, but Galen smiled at him and   
  
said, "It's a good thing I did, or Leala wouldn't be here." Carlin   
  
jabbed him in the ribs and said, "Don't mind him. He' s letting   
  
fatherhood go to his head."  
  
Darien shook his head and chuckled at the memory. Carlin   
  
could be a handful sometimes, but she always knew everything would   
  
eventually work out right. Especially when she told him when he   
  
left, "Don't hurry back on our account. We'll watch the babies."His jovial mood vanished the moment he saw the place Serena   
  
was being held. She had been gone nearly an entire day by now, but   
  
there was nothing he could do about it. Besides, Carlin told him   
  
not to go in until he heard Diamond screaming bloody murder. He   
  
narrowed his eyes to slits and slipped into the decaying Lathrop   
  
mansion, carefully making his way to the basement, listening for   
  
cries of distress. He nearly dropped to the ground when he almost   
  
immediately heard Diamond scream, "No more! No more! Grab the   
  
knife you witch!"  
  
Darien busted down the door and saw Serena lying on the bed,   
  
smiling menacingly at Diamond. She narrowed her eyes to slits and   
  
said, "It's time someone taught you a lesson in how to treat women."   
  
She swung her gaze around the room and her eyes lit up when she   
  
caught sight of Darien. She looked back at Diamond and smiled the   
  
smile of a benevolent saint and said, "He's here."  
  
Darien grabbed the knife that was floating in the air and   
  
looked at Diamond. He pointed it at him and said, "Be glad she   
  
didn't manage to get herself untied. If she did, you'd be dead by   
  
now." Darien turned his gaze to Serena and softened his look.   
  
Going to her, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, and asked,   
  
"Are you alright, love?"  
  
Serena smiled up at him and answered, "I will be once you   
  
untie me." She shifted her gaze for a moment and pinned Diamond to   
  
a wall. The moment one of her hands were free, she pointed it at   
  
him and said in a dark tone, "Think of moving, I'll drop the 'little   
  
one' off the face of the earth, got it?"  
  
Diamond just nodded and stood as still as he could. He didn't   
  
want any permanent damage done to him.  
  
Just then an uniformed police officer swung into the room and   
  
didn't know what to do. He saw a man 'pinned' to a wall, a petite   
  
blonde pointing at the said man, and another man saying soothing   
  
words to the blonde. He tapped his mouthpiece and said, "Request   
  
for backup," before stepping out of the room to collect himself.  
  
***  
  
It took Serena a few days before she could sit down and tell   
  
everyone what had happened. Darien had been wonderful in giving her   
  
space, as well as holding her close when she needed it. The twins   
  
were a great help. Seeing their smiling faces every morning proved   
  
that she had made it and that Diamond was truly gone.  
  
It took Carlin a few days--and nights according to Galen--to   
  
finally be pulled from her reverie. Whenever Carlin was around he   
  
said, "You're lucky I have her under my thumb. She's a tyrant when   
  
we're alone." Of course, he said this with a truly sated smile on   
  
his face.  
  
One evening about a week after the incident, Serena called   
  
everyone together in the study. She stood in front of the fireplace   
  
and watched the flames before she began. Turning, she could see   
  
concern written on everyone's faces. Sighing, she started. She   
  
told of how she woke up tied to the chair and what happened when she   
  
woke up. "The knife was what set me off I think. He used to have   
  
this little game where he would play with a knife. He would skim it   
  
across my skin before he...well, it doesn't matter now. I   
  
concentrated on the knife and the last time he pulled it out, I   
  
jerked it from his hand.  
  
"The look on his face was worth it. I'll never forget the   
  
moment he lost control. He started shaking and was starting to   
  
scream at me. I smiled at him and said, 'I would stop if I were   
  
you.' He kept screaming, so I nudged it toward him. That's when he   
  
went nuts and Darien came in through the door. I never felt safe   
  
until he had untied one of my hands and I could hold Diamond against   
  
the wall." Serena gazed at Darien and said, "You're the reason I   
  
didn't kill him."  
  
Darien smiled and said, "I knew I should have been a few   
  
minutes later."  
  
The group gave a collective chuckle and went on their separate   
  
ways. Darien pulled Serena aside and asked, "My room or yours?"  
  
Serena smiled up at him and answered, "Whichever is closest."  
  
Darien grabbed her hand and she laughed as he pulled her up   
  
the stairs.  
  
***  
  
Darien looked down and watched Serena as she slept. Last   
  
night had taken a lot out of her and she was finally resting.   
  
Darien heard some gentle coos over the baby monitor and chuckled to   
  
himself. Sliding from the bed, he went into the next room and saw   
  
Dory sitting up, staring at him. Picking him up, Darien asked,   
  
"Ready to start the day, big guy?" Seeing Dory clap his hands   
  
together, he said, "Let's go wake up Mommy."  
  
Darien walked back into the room and smiled to see a very   
  
rumpled Serena sitting up in bed with a sheet wrapped around her.   
  
He handed her Dory and kissed her on the lips, saying, "Good   
  
morning, beautiful."  
  
Serena smiled at him sleepily as she guided Dory to her   
  
breast, "Good morning to you, too." She smiled and looked at her   
  
son. He was perfect... "I named him after you, you know."  
  
Darien watched in awe and said, "No, I didn't. How is he?"  
  
Serena looked into Darien's eyes and explained, "Doran is   
  
close to Darren. Darien comes from Darren. It's that simple."  
  
"Where does Renata come from?"  
  
Serena smiled and said, "Carlin used to call me 'Rene'. The   
  
original form of Rene is Renata." Serena adjusted Dory and   
  
shrugged, "My way of honoring her, I guess."  
  
Darien leaned over to kiss her. Their life could be   
  
wonderful, if he ever took that final step...  
  
Happy gurgling erupted from the baby monitor next to Serena.   
  
Serena giggled and looked at Darien. "She's calling you   
  
sweetheart."  
  
Darien kissed her before he went and grabbed his daughter.   
  
Little Rene was going to break many hearts one day, but for now, she   
  
could handle conquering his. He nuzzled her fine golden curls and   
  
said, "I love you and Dory nearly as much as I love your Mommy, if   
  
not a tad more." He tossed her up and carried her into the   
  
adjoining room.  
  
Tears streamed down Serena's face as she took Rene from   
  
Darien. She let Rene latch to her breast before she said, "I love   
  
them a touch more than I love you."  
  
A heavy silence filled the room, filled only by Rene's sucking   
  
and Dory's happy laughs. Paying closer attention to Dory's laughs,   
  
she followed his line of vision until she saw a ball floating in the   
  
air. She glanced between Dory, Darien, and the ball, and finally   
  
turned to Darien, saying, "I take it, that's how you knew I was   
  
telekinetic."  
  
Darien chuckled, "You should see his bottle trick."  
  
Dory just clapped his hands.  
  
***  
  
Later that day, Sam's entire household sat down to eat a meal.   
  
Darien was nestled between Serena and Carlin and got the duty of   
  
holding Dory while Serena held Rene and Carlin held Leala. He   
  
watched intently as Serena spoon-fed Rene while trying to eat   
  
herself. It was quite comical, especially since Dory fed himself.  
  
Serena glared at him, then smiled as she caused her spoon to   
  
levitate to feed herself. She let the spoon drop then kissed   
  
Darien's mouth. Smiling, she said against his lips, "It's not so   
  
amusing once you realize where he got it."  
  
Carlin snorted behind her napkin. She looked down at Leala   
  
and said, "Good thing your daddy wasn't telekinetic."  
  
Galen raised an eyebrow at her and said, "I wouldn't be to   
  
sure about that."  
  
Now it was Serena's turn to snort. Galen didn't have to type   
  
of aura to be telekinetic. "Get off your high horse, McHail."  
  
Darien shook his head and listened as Serena and Galen   
  
bantered back and forth. Looking at Dory and Rene, he thought   
  
aloud, "I wish you could stay with me."  
  
Serena stopped in mid-argument. She looked at him and asked,   
  
"Do you really mean that?"  
  
Darien visibly gulped as fourteen pairs of eyes gazed at him.   
  
He slowly nodded and said, "Yes, I do." He turned so he could look   
  
into Serena's eyes. Lying hidden in their depths was hope and a   
  
touch of fear. He lowered his voice to a low rumble and said, "I   
  
want to wake up next to you every morning and hear the twins over   
  
their monitor. I want to be able to love you in the way you should   
  
be loved, constantly. Stay with me, Serena."  
  
Serena hiccuped and nodded as she blinked away the tears. "I   
  
have more relatives here."  
  
"All the more baby-sitters," Darien said with a wink.  
  
Serena let out a small giggle and said, "I'll go home with   
  
you."  
  
Darien put the twins on the table and crushed Serena to his   
  
chest. Kissing her soundly, he held her close, and said, "You can't   
  
run ever again."  
  
Serena smiled and said, "I don't want to."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
This is the last chapter before the epilogue. Stay tuned for the   
  
next few weeks to see the epilogue.  
  
Oh, and HUGE thanks to every one who read.  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


	15. Epilogue

Shady Business by Silver MoonAngel  
  
Rated R  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES  
  
AN: This is it. The end. This epilogue is dedicated to everyone   
  
who reviewed and everyone who read.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Serena cuddled the blanket closer to her. She looked around   
  
her and smiled. "Carlin, is it late again?"  
  
The little redhead nodded her head. She walked to where her   
  
sister was standing and said, "Next time, I'm going to pick them   
  
up."  
  
Serena's ears perked up as she heard the distant rumbling of   
  
the ancient school bus. The yellow paint didn't look so cheery and   
  
she was sure more than one kid had thrown up on the way home. She   
  
smiled as she heard her daughter yell, "Elios Rogers, if you ever   
  
want to have babies, you'll leave me alone."  
  
She then heard Doran say, "Rene, he was just teasing. He   
  
didn't mean to hurt your feelings."  
  
The bus door squeaked open and Rene bolted out of the bus as   
  
if some demon was chasing her. She dropped her bags and ran into   
  
her mother's arms crying, "Why are boys so mean?"  
  
Serena looked up and saw her eldest smiling sheepishly. He   
  
looked down at his toes and blushed.  
  
Serena sighed and tugged her twins inside. The last twelve   
  
years had been something else. Rene and Dory, her precious twins,   
  
were thirteen now and growing bigger every day. Not long after   
  
Serena moved in with Darien, Carlin and Galen had decided to move to   
  
California. Leala had grown into a strong young lady. She had the   
  
smarts and the beauty that made her a lethal combination, but Carlin   
  
and Galen kept her in check. Rene and Leala could often be found   
  
snickering at something in the gardens. Usually they were giggling   
  
at the latest antics of their best friend, Elios Rogers.  
  
Serena walked into the kitchen and smiled at the sight of   
  
Darien and their fourth child, Chandra, making pancakes.  
  
"No, sweetheart, you're supposed to mix it. Not eat it."   
  
Darien heaved a sigh and grabbed a rag from the sink. He gently   
  
wiped her hands clean and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Go find   
  
Momma."  
  
Chandra toddled off and clasped Serena's knees. She breathed   
  
in and out really fast going, "Momma, Momma!"  
  
Serena grabbed up her daughter and gave her a sound kiss on   
  
the cheek. She looked at Chandra and said, "Rene and Dory are   
  
home."  
  
Chandra clamored down and ran running down the hall calling,   
  
"Rene! Dory!"  
  
Serena walked up to Darien and dropped her head onto his   
  
shoulder. Leaning up, she kissed his cheek and asked, "Where's   
  
Gareth?"  
  
"He's busy with Indira. Raye dropped her off a few hours   
  
ago." Darien nuzzled her neck and kissed her softly.  
  
Serena sighed and thought of all of her children. There were   
  
Rene and Dory, her thirteen-year-old twins, Gareth, her eight-year-  
  
old, and little Chandra, her three-year-old. Gareth was the   
  
quietest of all her children. He had a tendency to keep to himself,   
  
but he was loved by all. Little Chandra was a handful. Although   
  
she was a mirror image of her father, she had her mother's   
  
disposition.  
  
"Momma! Dory's levitating Chandra again!"  
  
Serena pulled away from Darien. "I better go check on what's   
  
going on."  
  
Darien kissed her forehead and said, "He only does it because   
  
Chandra likes it."  
  
Serena chuckled and headed up the stairs. Dory was still able   
  
to use his telekinesis. Serena's had almost totally disappeared   
  
since the incident with Diamond, but she didn't mind. Rene had   
  
turned into a wonderful little precognitive and was slightly   
  
telepathic due to her interaction with Leala. Serena felt sorry for   
  
Gareth; he was a medium and constantly plagued by uneasy spirits.   
  
Serena did her best and had Nerys fly over and help Gareth through   
  
it. He was already doing better. Chandra was an oddity; she had   
  
more than one ability. She could heal small wounds and was slightly   
  
telekinetic.  
  
"Dory, put her down!" Rene circled a floating Chandra and   
  
started crying. Rene had never gotten used to her twin's abilities;   
  
he still was able to scare her to death.  
  
Serena stood in the doorway, observing to scene. To think, it   
  
all started eleven years ago...  
  
***  
  
Serena stood in the doorway of Darien's study and smiled at   
  
the memory of how she came to move back to California. It had taken   
  
a few weeks to finally have all of her things shipped to Darien's   
  
mansion, but when it was all said and done, she finally felt home.  
  
Darien approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist.   
  
Breathing in her scent, he murmured, "I'm glad you're home."  
  
Serena turned in his arms and softly kissed his lips. It was   
  
hard--and amazing--to believe that everything that had been set in   
  
motion eleven years ago had finally come full circle. "We have to   
  
get the twins ready. Their party starts in a few hours." Tonight   
  
was the twins' first birthday--as well as Leala's--and it was   
  
Serena's twenty-seventh.  
  
Darien caught her up and swung her around in a circle. It   
  
boggled his mind that they were finally together and would be after   
  
tonight... "Well," he said, with a grin, "You need to get ready   
  
before them, Mommy. We're going somewhere special after the little   
  
party planned today."  
  
"Who's going to watch Rene and Dory?" Serena executed a twirl   
  
before coming to a stop under his nose. She leaned up against him   
  
and kissed his neck as she waited for his answer. When she got   
  
none, she undid the top three buttons of his shirt and kissed his   
  
chest.  
  
"Keep going and we'll give Byrne a show," Darien said.   
  
Watching her pause, he added, "I thought you didn't give a damn who   
  
sees us?"  
  
Serena heaved a sigh and buttoned his shirt back up. "I   
  
don't, but I don't want to give the poor man a heart attack." Last   
  
week, Serena and Darien had been having "private time" in the   
  
library, when Byrne walked in and almost died on the spot. While   
  
Darien had chuckled from his spot on the floor, Serena had blushed   
  
bright red and moved off Darien into a corner until Byrne left.   
  
"And you're avoiding the question, " Serena said, taking a step   
  
back.  
  
Darien sighed and plowed his hand through his hair. "Raye   
  
said she would." Darien grabbed Serena and pulled her into his   
  
arms. He nuzzled her neck and said, "She needs the practice, after   
  
all." He kissed her neck and left the room, leaving him staring   
  
after him.  
  
***  
  
The rest of that night was a coordinated effort of several   
  
people. Raye and Carlin tried to their best to distract her with   
  
the babies. They shouldn't have bothered; Serena was so overjoyed   
  
with the fact her babies were a year old, she missed what was going   
  
on.  
  
***  
  
"Keep your eyes closed."  
  
Serena kept them shut, but her nose twitched in annoyance.   
  
Darien had been leading her around for half an hour--with her eyes   
  
closed nonetheless--and they didn't seem to have gone anywhere. She   
  
muttered, "Damn it, Darien, if we don't get there soon, I'll find an   
  
object to hurl at you."  
  
Darien chuckled a little distance ahead of her. He stopped   
  
and said, "Okay, now you can stop and open your eyes."  
  
Serena slowly opened her eyes and gasped at the sight in front   
  
of her. She was standing in the center of a ring of roses. She   
  
turned in a circle and stopped when she saw Darien kneeling on one   
  
knee. A hand flew to her mouth and tears formed in her eyes.  
  
Darien smiled from where he was on the ground. He cleared his   
  
throat and began. "Serena, a lot of things have happened in the   
  
last two years. We've been through some of the roughest things   
  
anyone can face and we came out unscathed. You're the mother of my   
  
children and I would be pleased if you would become my wife."  
  
Serena felt two tears drip down her chin. She had never been   
  
happier in her life. She nodded her head and said, "I will." She   
  
found herself squished as Darien leapt up and clasped her in a hug.  
  
***  
  
Mere hours after Darien proposed to Serena, Chad did the same   
  
to Raye. True, she was pregnant, but that wasn't the reason he   
  
proposed. Raye had been a wet sobbing mess, but so was Serena.  
  
Raye was married a total of two hours before her child decided   
  
to make its appearance. Keegan Sebastian Jacobson was blessed with   
  
a full set of lungs and unbelievable telepathic abilities. Raye   
  
never needed to guess what her son wanted or needed.  
  
Around the same time Serena had Gareth, Raye had Indira   
  
Seraphine Jacobson. Indira would become Gareth's savior, for she   
  
had been born a medium, too. By the time they were five, they had   
  
correctly identified and "sent on" forty-seven spirits.  
  
***  
  
Carlin came out well--much better than even she had   
  
anticipated. She is now the mother of a few more children, but it's   
  
really up to Carlin to tell her story.  
  
***  
  
When Serena and Darien celebrated their third wedding   
  
anniversary, neither had imagined it would end them in the hospital.   
  
The night had been going smoothly, especially since Serena was due   
  
any minute. They had just finished their meal when Serena bent over   
  
in pain. She mouthed, "Hospital, now," and Darien had them there in   
  
record time. Nearly ten minutes later, Serena was in the delivery   
  
room ready to deliver a baby. Since they didn't learn the sex   
  
beforehand, they were only slightly surprised when the doctor laid   
  
the boy on her chest.  
  
Serena rubbed her son's head and said, "I win." She put her   
  
nose to his hair and said, "Welcome, Gareth Riordan."  
  
***  
  
Chandra was a total surprise to both of them. Serena had her   
  
tubes tied after Gareth was born--finding out she was pregnant was   
  
the frosting on the cake of a very bad week. She had fallen asleep   
  
at work several times (even though she was a figurehead, she still   
  
liked to sit in on meetings) and Gareth had started preschool.  
  
Chandra's birth was a painful one for Serena. She had been   
  
breech, when she finally began to turn, Serena had been in labor for   
  
nearly twenty hours, and it was beginning to put undue stress on the   
  
baby. They wheeled her into the operating room and fifteen minutes   
  
later, Chandra Lena was born.  
  
Serena was able to see Chandra a total of thirty seconds   
  
before they whisked the baby to the NICU because she wasn't   
  
breathing very well on her own. For the few hours the doctors   
  
observed Chandra, Darien and the rest of the children had a hell of   
  
a time calming Serena down. It seemed as if she demanded to see   
  
Chandra every five seconds. When they were able to see her, they   
  
all were happy and pleased that she was okay.  
  
***  
  
Serena walked to the center of the room and gave Dory "the   
  
look". He gulped and set Chandra down. Her little handful came   
  
over and patted her stomach. She giggled and said, "Hi baby."  
  
Rene and Dory's eyes widened in shock. Then Rene--little   
  
pistol she is--said, "I guess I own Aunt Car ten dollars."  
  
Serena arched her eyebrow and planted her hands on her hips.   
  
She looked Rene up and down before asking, "Why do you owe Carlin   
  
ten dollars?"  
  
Rene smiled and said, "We placed a small wager on when you   
  
would get pregnant again. She said when Chan was three and I said   
  
four..." She trailed off before saying, "Then again, Chan will be   
  
four when this one is born, so it's technically a draw."  
  
Serena shook her head and left the room. Leave it to Carlin   
  
to predict when she'd have babies. Maybe not so surprising when she   
  
said when Rene and Dory would be born. She tracked down Darien and   
  
drew him into her bedroom.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," she said. "Unless you think we should sue the   
  
surgeon who operated on me."  
  
"Why would we do that..." Darien's gaze dropped to her belly   
  
and he let out a whoop of joy. He shut the door and locked it. He   
  
kissed her passionately and laid her on the bed. After they were   
  
sated--and the kids had given up on their parents surfacing for air   
  
anytime soon--Serena nuzzled into Darien's arms and said, "Happy   
  
Anniversary."  
  
Darien watched her fall asleep and smiled. It had been   
  
thirteen years ago today that Serena had first come to his mansion.   
  
They had weathered whatever had come to them, and would continue to   
  
do so for the rest of their lives.  
  
The End?  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I've decided to do a sequel to "Shady Business". I plan for it to   
  
be centered around Carlin, but Darien, Serena, and everyone else   
  
will be in it. I know right now that some chapters will be a recap,   
  
but from Carlin's perspective. Tell me what you want to know.  
  
TTTTT H H A N N K K Y Y OOO U U !  
  
T H H A A NN N K K Y Y O O U U !!!  
  
T HHHHH A A N N N KKK Y O O U U !  
  
T H H AAAAA N NN K K Y O O U U   
  
T H H A A N N K K Y OOO UUU !!!  
  
  
  
Send Q's or C's to: silver_moonangel@yahoo.com 


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